For those who are unaware, Canada is a rather large country (second biggest in the world, in fact), and despite a travellers best efforts seeing the entire country in a week is pretty much difficult (but realistically, not impossible if you decide not to sleep and fly everywhere). But things are about to change in the Great White North with the (hopeful) introduction of the Hyperloop. JustFly reviews what the installation of this ultra-high speed train could mean for Canadians and travellers alike.

So what is Hyperloop exactly? Originally put forward by Elon Musk (founder of Tesla, PayPal, and a lot of other very successful companies), Hyperloop is a conceptual high-speed transportations system that is designed to incorporate reduced-pressured tubes that will transport people (commuters) between Montreal and Toronto in a mere 30 minutes. You read that right, 30 minutes flat. Though there are speculations on how the pods will actually work, imagining the potential travel benefits from this hyper-speed commuter train is the stuff of dreams for many living in Montreal and Toronto.

For regular commuters, a flight between two of Canada’s largest cities are about an hour gate-to-gate according to JustFly, which for many is fine: it’s not too terrible of a time, but when you factor in check-in and regular airport traffic, getting to and from the cities in a day can be exhausting (not to mention that Toronto’s Pearson Airport is located in the suburbs of Etobicoke, which adds additional commuting time to Toronto’s downtown core). But hopefully with Hyperloop, commuters, travellers, and visitors can make the trip between the two cities in 30 minutes, making it easier than ever to work, play, and live in the country.

Travellers would naturally benefit from the Hyperloop in a variety of ways. Both cities are wonderful tourist destinations offering a wide variety of attractions, sites, culture, food, and activities to give travellers a sense of what Canada’s urban playgrounds look like and differ from each other! The Canadian company, Transpod, believes that hyper-speed train can and will be put to commercial use in 10 to 15 years, which would mean a great deal to the tourism industry in both cities. Though there are no definitive or official plans for the Hyperloop project, the team at Transpod is currently looking into the reality of building such a transportation machine.

Asides from the obvious fact that the tubes would make life simpler for many Canadians going to and from Montreal and Toronto on a regular basis, the tubes also offer the opportunity for many Canadians (or travellers in general) to select which airports best fit their needs when it comes to international or global travel. As it stands, Toronto Pearson Airport holds the majority of routes to destinations in some parts of Europe, Asia, South America, and to the United States. Because Toronto is a larger international hub than Montreal for certain destinations, traveling in or out of the country may at times be easier (and cheaper) to go through Toronto. With the introduction of the Hyperloop, adjusting travel plans that fit a varying schedule and price point will not only encourage people to go through the different airports, but boost local business within the cities (wandering around on a layover, for example). In all, should the project push forward, the Hyperloop will undoubtedly change the way people travel in and out of Canada.