Elon Musk sees the future of transport...shooting you through an enclosed tube at 700mph.
I don't even like my money traveling that fast at the bank drive-thru....and the thought of being in an enclosed space with a crowd of people that may have eaten fast food recently, doesn't make me breathe any easier either...I've smelled an Amtrak train before, not something I wish to do again anytime soon.
Some ideas are impractical and silly...Some ideas should not see the light of day.
I think this one fits in all categories.

I didn't read any articles on Elon Musk's proposal but it Could be feasible.
I once had an idea of a international tube system that housed high speed trains from coast to coast. Top speed for the freight conduits at 1,000 mph using mag-lev technology. Passenger conduits could start at 500-700 mph and increase with technology to 1,000 mph.

The whole project was to be a multi-phase centurion mega-project. Generating sustain jobs for a century or more.
Here is a start to my idea:
http://w11.zetaboards.com/Ideas_Archive/topic/10709261/1/

Here is the workup in case nobody wants to visit the link:

NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION CORRIDOR

This mega-structure would be a next step to the national highway and rail system.



The main conduit would transverse the continent with spurs.
Each spur would have a mega-hub and each terminal a mega-terminal.
Highway and rail systems would spur off of the terminals.
The main conduit would have a non-stop mag-train system for high-speed
coast to coast transport. Each Spur would have state spurs and hubs.
The hub system would be two-way.

In the below diagram I show possible placement and design of each conduit section.
Its not to scale or completely shown but it suggests the layout of possibilities. Switching stations and people platforms, terminal structures
and section sub-structures are not shown.
Again - this is a quick drawing, not to scale and not complete.



I chose a squashed circle as the shell because it will be strong
and adaptive to tunneling projects.

There are 3 main sections with room for a 4th section for future expansion needs.

The top section is the Maintenance Deck.
Here you would find:

Maintenance Transportation Platform - This is the main platform housing the maintenance trains, trucks and commuter traffic.
This platform would be linked at the spurs and run the length of the entire national conduit.

Quarters - Maintenance workers, support workers & residential housing. Also business and office spaces.
All linked via pedestrian tunnels.

Main Power Conduit - Houses the power supply facilities and main cable trunks needed to power the systems.
Solar collectors and wind turbines on the outer shell could contribute to the power supply.
The main conduit would have maintenance access tunnels and various platforms.

Communications Conduits - Hardwired communications insulated from utility and power conduits.
Access for maintenance via platforms and catwalks.

Utility Conduits - HVAC, Water & Sewer systems.
Maintenance access via trunks on the outside of the shell.


The center section is the Main Transport Deck.
Here you would find:

High-Speed Train Deck - Two to four omni-directional high-speed bullet or mag-lev trans-continental passenger transport trains.
Emergency and Support facilities.

Hub Train Decks - Interchange hub linking passenger trains or
mag-levs running the full conduit but allowing spur and hub exchanges.
These would link to the existing train networks across the country via terminals.
There would be no access to the high speed trans-continental conduit as it would be non-stop from seaboard to seaboard.
The hub system would allow trans-continental passage
but at a lower speed with spur stops and exchanges.

Highway Hub Decks - Crash avoidance highway system with rest stops and refueling stations.
Could be obsolete by the time construction is completed
at which time the spaces would be utilized for new technology.


The bottom section is the Freight Deck.
Here you would find:

High-Speed Freight Train Deck - Two to four omni-directional high-speed bullet or mag-lev trans-continental freight transport trains.

Emergency and Support facilities.
Very similar to the passenger deck above but heavy-duty construction

Hub Freight Train Decks - Similar to the above Hub Train Decks but heavy-duty.

Highway Hub Freight Decks - Highway system designed for current trucking industry.
Could be obsolete by the time construction is completed
at which time the spaces would be utilized for new technology.

Its incomplete and just an idea I put to archive.

And he fit that all on a cocktail napkin.

everything Musk puts out translates to:"Need More Subsidies"!

I'm a huge fan of thinking outside the box. But sometimes, the reason to do it is to learn to appreciate why there IS a box, and then get back inside.

This is essentially a high-speed rail transportation idea. A VERY expensive one. I would suggest that the fact that Amtrak is struggling to survive at all, means that spending trillions to turn it all into an interstate subway system isn't likely to work economically.

There was a documentary last year about a similar system under the pond!
Fascinating how they would overcome the technical issues.

I never said it was a feasible system. It would start out as a rail system and technology advancements would switch it to mag-lev or more exotic means.

My inspiration was not the system itself but as a means to create jobs and jumpstart practical technological applications.
I have other mega-scale projects for the same reasons.

My dad was part of the CCC efforts (Civilian Conservation Corps) to jumpstart the economy with jobs, technology and innovation by building dams, roads, parks and stuff. Mega-scale projects at the time. I think he said it was from the threadbare thirties?