"North Carolina Research Triangle -- home to some of the country's top companies, universities and healthcare centers -- is an absolute prime location to examine hyperloop technology," said Virgin Hyperloop One CEO Jay Walder. Other several possible benefits highlighted include reliable travel times, improved road safety, a direct link to the airport and better logistics for cargo shipments. The hyperloop corridors could also be linked to the existing rail network and a proposed regional bus rapid transit system for the Research Triangle area.

Durham and Orange counties previously considered a 17.7-mile light rail line that would have linked Durham, Chapel Hill, three universities (including Duke) and a trio of major medical facilities. However, the GoTriangle project was shelved in April. A hyperloop network might prove a more viable intercity transit system for the region.

Hyperloop One is working on projects in a number of other locales, including Missouri, Texas, Ohio, Dubai and India. To date, it has held hundreds of test runs at its at-scale test track outside Las Vegas as it continues to refine its hyperloop technology.