Three UK routes are being considered for Europe’s first Hyperloop system , the high-speed transport technology backed by Tesla boss Elon Musk (www.hyperloop-one.com).

Routes from London to Edinburgh, Liverpool to Glasgow, and Cardiff to Glasgow have all been short-listed by Hyperloop One, which says its technology could cut the 414 mile non-stop trip from London to Edinburgh to 50min.

The shortest journey time available at the moment is 80min by plane; it takes an average of 7.5hr by car.

Hyperloop One is designing pods that carry passengers and cargo, ‘float’ using magnetic levitation and travel through a vacuum at speeds of nearly 700mph.

The company says it will have more than 500 employees working on the technology, which it claims offers a clean alternative to long-distance road travel or flights, by the end of 2017.

It recently finished constructing the first Hyperloop test track, in the Nevada desert; this is 500m long and is expected to run trials later this year.

Josh Giegel, Hyperloop One co-founder, said: “We’re looking forward to showcasing our technology, and we believe that Europe is the perfect region for one of the world’s first Hyperloop systems.”