RAND Corp: VHST report documents nuclear tunneling concept
RAND Corporation published a conceptual report on the Very High Speed Transit (VHST) system, referencing the Subterrene rock-melting tunneling technology. The document proposed underground transportation networks utilizing advanced boring methods that would later influence military tunneling research.
Background
In August 1972, the RAND Corporation issued a report titled 'The Very High Speed Transit System,' proposing an evacuated-tube transportation network capable of competing with aircraft speeds. The document specifically referenced the Subterrene technology as a viable method for creating the necessary underground tunnels through rock-melting processes rather than conventional excavation. This early conceptual framework established the theoretical basis for subsequent military research into stealth underground infrastructure. The report outlined how electromagnetic levitation in evacuated tunnels could revolutionize transport, while noting that nuclear-powered tunneling machines could efficiently create such passageways through dense geological formations.