A vacuum volume reduction system and method for reducing a volume to be evacuated at a vacuum tube vehicle station are provided. The system has a station vacuum tube in an interior of a station wall of the vacuum tube vehicle station. The station vacuum tube has a tube volume. The system has a volume reduction assembly coupled to the station vacuum tube, and a control system for radially moving the assembly to and from a vehicle outer surface of a vacuum transport tube vehicle, to engage around the vehicle outer surface, for loading and unloading of passengers and/or cargo. The system further has door seal(s), an air supply assembly, and a vent-to-vacuum assembly. The system displaces the tube volume between the station wall and the vehicle outer surface, and in turn, reduces a volume to be evacuated at the vacuum tube vehicle station.