This sounds like a save the world kind of technology. For a 1T investment, 2h for New York – Beijing. This, combined with a global grid, would get us most of the way to a kardashev level 1 civilization.

2017-09-06:

CASIC will build a maglev transportation system with a top speed of 3700 km/h. The network would consist of 2 tubes per line—each tube is strictly 1-way only—with built in maglev systems, and would be powered in large part by the solar panels on top of the tubes. Given the high speeds and high-traffic density of T Flight capsules at any time, operations would be highly automated, and possibly AI-aided.

2018-03-04:

A maglev line would use partly or fully evacuated tubes or tunnels. Reduced air resistance could permit vactrains to travel at very high speeds with relatively little power—up to 8000 km/h. China has slashed air pressure in a test track tube to 2.9 kilopascal, 33x lower than normal air pressure.

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