Virgin invests in train which could go from London to Edinburgh in an hour

A futuristic train which has been described as the first major change in transport technology in a century could soon blast passengers from London to Edinburgh in 50 minutes.

Billionaire Richard Branson invested in Hyperloop One, which is developing a high-speed transport system consisting of passenger pods travelling through vacuum tubes at breakneck speeds of 250mph and above.

Branson has joined the board of the company, which is rebranding as Virgin Hyperloop One, and aims to develop pods which will transport passengers.

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Hyperloop One – one of several companies working with the technology – shortlisted routes in the UK, including Cardiff to Glasgow in 89 minutes.

It is hoped Hyperloop could transport people between London and Scotland in just 45 minutes.

Glasgow to Liverpool could take just 47 minutes.

Dubai has already signed a deal for a line running from the city-state to the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

Hyperloop One has completed the first successful test of the passenger pod for its radical transport system.