Evacuated Tube Transport

1. ETT's might be dangerous, but they are neat 
looking sci-fi.
2. Aren't hyperspeed trains also a big danger in 
terms of sabotage etc - as you have to secure 
their tracks too? Things like the TGV etc? 
3. On a vacuum moon or something, the risk of 
penetration that is posed by external 
atmospheric pressure goes away.
4. It has traditionally been far more efficient to 
move mass by rail than by truck or plane (by a 
long shot) - and this method looks even more 
energy efficient. If your concern isn't the danger 
to the apparatus, but the cost efficiency of the 
system, this system may move KGs (and 
conventional rail definitely does) far cheaper 
across continental distances than your air-net. 

I'm not saying this is viable any more than a 
space elevator is (both are contestible points). 
But both also make for some interesting 
chrome for a setting (beanstalk anchor would 
be an interesting target point for a DS2 or SG2 
mission..... and so would a tube-train line. 

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Thomas Barclay
Co-Creator of http://www.stargrunt.ca 
Stargrunt II and Dirtside II game site

No Battle Plan Survives Contact With Dice.
-- Mark 'Indy' Kochte
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