Maar sonder groot vooruitgang met tonnelgrawing en verbeterde tegnologie in tonnelkonstruksie, sal vakuumtreine steeds te duur wees. Om koste te bespaar, is alternatiewe soos geligte betonpype met gedeeltelike lugleemtes reeds voorgestel.
Navorsers by [[Suidwes Jiaotong Universiteit]] in [[China]] is sedert 2010 besig met die ontwikkeling 'n vakuumtrein wat 'n spoed van 1 000 km/h sal bereik. Hulle sê die tegnologie kan binne die volgende 10 jaar in werking gestel word.<ref>{{webaanhalingcite web |titeltitle=Vactrain development underway in China |datumdate=2 Augustus 2010-08-02 |url=http://www.china.org.cn/china/2010-08/02/content_20624621.htm |uitgewerpublisher=China.org.cn |toegangsdatumaccess-date=26 September 2011 |language=en |archive-09url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170821090009/http://www.china.org.cn/china/2010-2608/02/content_20624621.htm |archive-date=21 Augustus 2017 |url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{webaanhalingcite web |url=http://english.eastday.com/e/100803/u1a5369373.html |titeltitle=Laboratory working on train to run at 1,000kph |datumdate=3 Augustus 2010-08-03 |uitgewerpublisher=Eastday.com |accessdateaccess-date=26 September 2011 |language=en |archive-09url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150118142035/http://english.eastday.com/e/100803/u1a5369373.html |archive-26date=18 Januarie 2015 |url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{webaanhalingcite web |title=China developing 600 mph airless maglev high-speed train |url=http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/smart-takes/china-developing-600-mph-airless-maglev-high-speed-train/9594 |uitgewerpublisher=SmartPlanet |toegangsdatumaccess-date=26 September 2011 |date=9 Augustus 2010 |language=en |archive-09url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104122449/http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/smart-26takes/china-developing-600-mph-airless-maglev-high-speed-train/9594 |datumarchive-date=20104 November 2013 |url-08status=live|df=dmy-09all}}</ref>
