This undated artist’s rendering provided by The Boring Company, shows an electric public transportation vehicle that is part of a proposed high-speed underground transportation system that will transport passengers from downtown Chicago to O’Hare International Airport. A spokesman for Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel confirmed Wednesday, June 13, 2018, that The Boring Company, founded by Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been selected to build the transportation system. (The Boring Company via AP)
By John Dempsey, WLS-AM News
(CHICAGO) Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel says he has chosen Elon Musk, the billionaire head of the Tesla car company, to build and operate a high speed express train between downtown Chicago and O’Hare International Airport.
The Emanuel administration says Musk’s Boring company, won out over three other competing companies to build the train that could whisk passengers between downtown and O’Hare in 12 minutes, at speeds of up to 150 miles an hour.
The Boring Company uses uses high tech drilling technology to create underground tunnels at a fraction of the cost of traditional methods. The plan is to build two tunnels deep underground going from Block 37 at State and Randlolph, to O’Hare.
Pod-like vehicles that carry up to 16 passengers and their luggage would descend like an elevator down into the tunnels, for the 12 minute ride to the airport.
City Hall says the Boring Company would pay the entire construction cost of up to $1 billion, then keep all of the revenue. The trip would cost about $25.
Emanuel’s office says construction could start next year, with the high speed trains running in 2022.
@ 2018 WLS-AM News
