Although Hyperloop rail, a revolutionary mode of intercity passenger transport, has received considerable attention on YouTube, little is known about the extent to which potential travelers trust both YouTube content and the proposed Hyperloop transit service. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of YouTube coverage on trust in, attitude toward, and risk perception of Hyperloop travel. Guided by the trust transfer theory, the study explores how trust transference leads to travel intention. With a total of 760 respondents taking part in a video experiment, the results show that trust successfully transfers from YouTube coverage to Hyperloop transit systems and subsequently influences the intentions of viewers to use Hyperloop trains. Although attitude is also reported to affect intention directly and positively, perceived risk has no such direct effect on intention. The study’s findings reveal that attitude mediates the affiliation between YouTube coverage, Trust in YouTube content, perceived risk, and intention. This research has theoretical and practical implications for academics and practitioners involved in the development of Hyperloop transit systems.

尽管 Hyperloop 铁路是城际客运的一种革命性模式，在 YouTube 上受到了相当大的关注，但人们对潜在旅行者对 YouTube 内容和拟议中的 Hyperloop 交通服务的信任程度知之甚少。本研究的目的是检验 YouTube 报道对 Hyperloop 旅行的信任、态度和风险认知的影响。本研究以信任转移理论为指导，探讨信任转移如何导致旅游意愿。共有 760 名受访者参与了视频实验，结果表明信任成功地从 YouTube 报道转移到了 Hyperloop 交通系统，并随后影响了观众使用 Hyperloop 列车的意图。虽然态度也被报道直接和积极地影响意图，感知风险对意图没有这种直接影响。该研究的结果表明，态度在 YouTube 报道、对 YouTube 内容的信任、感知风险和意图之间的关系中起到了中介作用。这项研究对参与 Hyperloop 交通系统开发的学者和从业者具有理论和实践意义。