Bringing high-speed travel ‘to the people’: Hyperloop One sets Kansas City arrival date

Long Awaited, Virgin Hyperloop One will finally cruise into Kansas City … just not permanently — at least not yet, the company announced Tuesday. 

Photo courtesy of Hyperloop One

“When government and investor delegations come to our test site, seeing the technology makes it real for them,” Jay Walder, CEO of Virgin Hyperloop One, said in a release. 

“Not everyone can come to the Nevada desert, so we’re bringing our technology to the people — the American people who will be riding this new form of transportation within a decade,” he added. 

With the announcement, Hyperloop One formally launched its U.S. Roadshow, which will put its XP-1 hyperloop pod on public display in cities across the country, the company explained.

Kansas Citians will have an opportunity to investigate the pod Sept. 14 during the American Royal BBQ at the Kansas Speedway. 

“There has been so much excitement and interest in this technology, and we know the Kansas City tech community and general public will be receptive to the demonstration and learning more details,” said Ryan Weber, president of the KC Tech Council. 

During an April visit to the metro, Walder revealed Missouri was a serious contender in the fight to house Hyperloop One. 

“What if I told you that I’ve been CEO of Virgin Hyperloop One for five months and this is the first trip I’ve taken to a state where there has been [a feasibility study conducted]?” Walder told a crowd gathered for a KC Tech Council discussion about the future of Hyperloop One. 

“I think that’s a vote of confidence,” he quipped. 

Click here to find out what three words Walder has for Kansas Citians hungry for Hyperloop. 

XP-1 will be on display in Columbus, Ohio and Arlington, Texas before its arrival in Kansas City. 

Stops at diners, hotels, museums, parks, state houses, and stadiums are planned along the pods 4,000 mile route across the country, the company said.