A vacuum transport tube vehicle for evacuating a vacuum transport tube, comprising: a first end, a second end, and a body comprising a piston between the first end and the second end, the first end comprising a piston head having a piston perimeter portion; a blade-actuator assembly, said blade-actuator assembly comprising: a circumferential blade member sealed to the piston head and having a blade perimeter portion defining a first end outer surface, wherein an annular gap is formed between the first end outer surface and an inner surface of the vacuum transport tube when the vehicle is installed in an interior of the vacuum transport tube; a plurality of blade segment actuators arranged circumferentially around the piston perimeter portion and coupled to the blade member at a corresponding plurality of blade circumferential locations, the blade segment actuators configured to actively adjust a radial position of the blade member at the corresponding blade circumferential locations in a manner accommodating non-uniformities in an inner surface profile, and maintaining the annular gap at a substantially constant and relatively short gap distance during movement of the vehicle through the vacuum transport tube. a first end, a second end, and a body comprising a piston between the first end and the second end, the first end comprising a piston head having a piston perimeter portion; a blade-actuator assembly, said blade-actuator assembly comprising: a circumferential blade member sealed to the piston head and having a blade perimeter portion defining a first end outer surface, wherein an annular gap is formed between the first end outer surface and an inner surface of the vacuum transport tube when the vehicle is installed in an interior of the vacuum transport tube; a plurality of blade segment actuators arranged circumferentially around the piston perimeter portion and coupled to the blade member at a corresponding plurality of blade circumferential locations, the blade segment actuators configured to actively adjust a radial position of the blade member at the corresponding blade circumferential locations in a manner accommodating non-uniformities in an inner surface profile, and maintaining the annular gap at a substantially constant and relatively short gap distance during movement of the vehicle through the vacuum transport tube. a circumferential blade member sealed to the piston head and having a blade perimeter portion defining a first end outer surface, wherein an annular gap is formed between the first end outer surface and an inner surface of the vacuum transport tube when the vehicle is installed in an interior of the vacuum transport tube; a plurality of blade segment actuators arranged circumferentially around the piston perimeter portion and coupled to the blade member at a corresponding plurality of blade circumferential locations, the blade segment actuators configured to actively adjust a radial position of the blade member at the corresponding blade circumferential locations in a manner accommodating non-uniformities in an inner surface profile, and maintaining the annular gap at a substantially constant and relatively short gap distance during movement of the vehicle through the vacuum transport tube.