Riyadh - Virgin’s Hyperloop One Company has signed a deal with the government of Saudi Arabia to build a test track for its futuristic transport concept. The hyperloop concept involves a pressurised pod with a vehicle carrying passengers or cargo up to 10 times faster than current rail. A 35km track will be built, alongside a research and development facility and manufacturing plant, north of Jeddah. Some remain sceptical that hyperloop travel can become a reality. Virgin Hyperloop One said the technology could reduce a journey from Riyadh to Jeddah to 76 minutes, compared with more than 10 hours currently. “Our partnership with Virgin Hyperloop One is a matter of pride for us and all of Saudi Arabia,” said Mohanud A Helal, Secretary General of the Economic City Authority. He added that he hoped it would be a “catalyst for a Saudi Silicon Valley effect”. The company showed off a pod travelling at over 100km/h (62mph) in a 500m (1,600ft) vacuum tube in Nevada in July 2017.