On Twitter, Maryland governor Larry Hogan revealed the administration supports the construction of a line that would connect Baltimore City to D.C, and said he thinks the Hyperloop is ‘coming to Maryland.’
The state has issued a conditional utility permit for the project, allowing the firm to dig a 10.3 mile tunnel under part of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, according to LA Times.
Musk first revealed his plan for a system that could ferry passengers from NY to DC in just 29 minutes back in July, when he tweeted that he’d been given ‘verbal government approval’ for the underground tunnel.
At the time, he said it will run via Philadelphia and Baltimore, and use his Hyperloop technology.
If completed, it would become the world's longest tunnel.
Now, the CEO has secured permission for the first section of the system.
There will undoubtedly be many other hurdles before the tunnel comes to life, including environmental reviews and obtaining approval from other administrations.
But, Governor Hogan’s support marks the first step in the process.
‘Our administration is proud to support The Boring Company to bring rapid electric transportation to MD – connecting Baltimore City to DC,’ the Maryland governor tweeted.
And, in a video accompanying a second post, in which he wrote, ‘Get Hyped,’ the governor can be heard responding to a question about the Boring Company’s Hyperloop, saying, ‘I think it’s coming to Maryland, and it’s going to go from Baltimore to Washington, so get ready.’
If the plan comes to life, Musk's East Coast Hyperloop tunnel would be far longer than the current record holder, the Gotthard Base Tunnel, a railway line that runs through the Swiss Alps and opened in 2016, measuring 35.5 miles.
The announcement comes just as the tech boss revealed his Boring Company’s second tunnel-digging machine is ‘nearly ready.’
Musk tweeted yesterday that the new contraption will be named 'Line-Storm' after the 1915 poem by famed American writer Robert Frost.
The Boring Company was granted permission to dig outside of its own property for the first time just two months ago.
In August, it was reported that the firm will build a two-mile-long test tunnel in Los Angeles, after the City Council voted four to one in favour of his ambitious plans.
The extension will run 13.5 metres (44 feet) under public roads around the SpaceX headquarters, and is the first time the Boring Company has been allowed to dig outside it's property line.
This dry run will make sure plans actually work - if it doesn't, the city can request the tunnel is filled with concrete or soil.
The company assured citizens that if the soil moves by as little as half an inch, work will stop immediately.
Many have speculated that Musk will use his Boring Company to build tunnels for Hyperloop transportation systems - either for other firms or his own venture.
When he first revealed the plan in a white paper developed with his team at SpaceX, in 2012, he said he would let others build the system.
'I don't have any plan to execute because I must remain focused on SpaceX and Tesla,' he said in a conference call at the time.
But in August it appeared Musk would build his own hyperloop tunnel system in a bid to speed up adoption of the radical travel technology he invented.
According to reports from a 'person close to Musk,' it appears the billionaire will build the whole system himself.
Musk also hinted at it, replying to a tweet about the issues facing the various Hyperloop plans by saying 'I guess a proof of concept is needed.'
What Is Hperloop?
Hyperloop is a proposed method of travel that would transport people at roughly 700mph between distant locations.
It was unveiled by Elon Musk in 2013, who at the time said it could take passengers the 380 miles (610km) from LA to San Francisco in 30 minutes - half the time it takes a plane.
It is essentially a long tube that has had the air removed to create a vacuum.
The tube is suspended off the ground to protect against weather and earthquakes.
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