Musk's Boring Co wins bid for Chicago high-speed train
Elon Musk’s Boring Company is the winner of a bid to build a multibillion-dollar high-speed train to connect downtown Chicago with O’Hare International Airport.
The result will give a boost to the company's legitimacy as it tries to get more transportation projects underway in LA and Washington.
The plan which was proposed to reduce travel time from city center to the airport to no more than 20 minutes had high profile bidders such as engineering firm Mott MacDonald, which worked on the development of a terminal at London Heathrow airport.
Boring Co confirmed the deal on Twitter, saying: “We’re really excited to work with the Mayor and the City to bring this new high-speed public transportation system to Chicago”.
Musk previously said that he intended to build a high-speed 'Loop' connecting the city with the airport and added that Boring Co planned to charge fares cheaper than the proposal required.
The Loop system will see 12-minute trips in electric vehicles named 'skates', cutting the time down from 30-40 minutes the trip usually takes via train or car.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel told Mashable: "Bringing Chicago’s economic engines closer together will keep the city on the cutting edge of progress, create thousands of good-paying jobs and strengthen our great city for future generations. This transformative project will help Chicago write the next chapter in our legacy of innovation and invention."