Hardt Hyperloop has successfully tested its hyperloop vehicle at the European Hyperloop Center (EHC) in Veendam, Netherlands.

Hyperloop is a form of high-speed mass transit in which capsules travel on magnetic rails. During a showcase event on Monday, a hyperloop test vehicle levitated and zipped through a tube at the testing facility.

The ECH’s 420-metre tube is made up of 34 separate sections measuring 2.5 metres in diameter. A vacuum pump sucks out the air to reduce the internal pressure. That reduces drag and allows capsules to travel at high speeds.

During the test, Hardt’s vehicle demonstrated its hyperloop traction technologies, which include the magnetic levitation, guidance and propulsion systems.

It also demonstrated its speed: the vehicle moved smoothly through the first 90 metres of the tube at a speed of almost 30 km/h, with an acceleration of 0.2G.

Marinus van der Meijs, technology and engineering director at Hardt Hyperloop, said: “The successful first demonstration of our...