Virgin says the pods could reach speeds of over 1,000km/h Virgin Hyperloop, a futuristic train service that promised a new era of travel for passengers, will be focusing on cargo instead, it has revealed. The company told BBC News the change in direction was due to global supply-chain issues and Covid. The Financial Times, which first reported the story, said it had also laid off more than 100 staff members. Experts have expressed doubts about the engineering challenges and practicalities of Hyperloop travel. The company said: "The global supply chain has experienced dramatic changes in the past year, due in part to the worldwide pandemic. "Virgin Hyperloop as a company is responding to strong customer demand for a cargo-based hyperloop system and is focusing its resources on delivering this product." Its long-term vision remained to "address passenger mobility", the company added. Magnetic tracks DP World, a logistics provider owned by the Dubai government and a majority stakeholder in Virgin Hyperloop, told the Financial Times that "focusing on pallets is easier to do - there is less risk for passengers and less of a regulatory process".