Support NeoGAF

[Brakke]

What a bonkers idea. Gotta spend all those USDs they've accrued somehow, I guess.

Tireless labour force? That's one way of putting it.

Lol yeah, that stuck out at me too.

 

[Dryk]

People may scoff now but investing in electric powered international travel isn't a bad idea.

Pretty sure I'd be terrified of traveling in a tunnel under the pacific for that long. I'll stick to airplanes.

The Bering Strait is only 100km wide, you'd only be down there for half an hour at most. The reason it takes so long is because it goes a long way up and back down while on the mainlands.

 

[Team Filler]

I'm no expert, but it seems awfully dangerous to have a lengthy underwater tunnel in such a geologically volatile region. Any engineers on GAF have a take on this?

 

[Atraveller]

I guess it's time for a new DLC for Train Simulator.

 

[Bishop89]

I actually had a dream that I was in the future where all major cities were interconnected by rail

e.g. London, Paris, Munich, New York, New Dehli

I think it took me 3 hours to go from London to New York in my dream.

No teleporter future?

 

[kehs]

I'm no expert, but it seems awfully dangerous to have a lengthy underwater tunnel in such a geologically volatile region. Any engineers on GAF have a take on this?

China's building it.

 

[Effect]

I'd be all for this being doable in the US.

 

[The Albatross]

Being in a tunnel for many hours terrifies me. I think I'd rather fly.

I wish we were aiming higher as far as speed go, 2 days is a bit much, but I love trains, the more the merrier.

Research has proven that any speed over 300 Mph results in people having their skin pulled off by gravity.

 

[Bebpo]

Would be cool for making stops along the way.

 

[Razgriz-Specter]

Cool but the price to build it would be astronomically higher than any practical use.

 

[Lactose_Intolerant]

 

[MarkMclovin]

I always thought that all the major countries will be tied together by rail in the future. Always imagined the rail to be above ground though.

 

[Dynamite Shikoku]

Would be cool if it went over the ocean

 

[Dougald]

How many trains can travel the through the tunnel at once?

Euro tunnel runs up to 4 departures per hour, on a journey time of 35 minutes, and they share the track with passenger trains too. So I'd think with modern signalling, a lot, considering this would be a considerably longer tunnel..

 

[Kinyou]

I like the idea, but two days? Come on, get some hyperloops in there

 

[chickdigger802]

If the comfort level was high enough (sleeping car, leg room for human-sized legs), I'd give it a shot

think you can get most of that first class on an a380.

but i would imagine that kind of comfort is gonna be way cheaper on a train.

 

[SwiftDeath]

Technology for this has existed for probably a decade or two. Well the underwater tunnel part might be based on newer tech I guess

It was always the cost and bureaucracy that killed any plans in their inception

China is about the only country I imagine that could spearhead something like this as they have the drive and money. Unfortunately I doubt Russia and the US would be too happy to oblige them. Maybe not though

 

[zma1013]

This doesn't sound very practical at all. This is what we have planes for.

 

[R10Neymarfan]

I would be for this only if it connects Japan and Russia on the west and UK, Greenland, Spain, and west Africa on the east

 

[PirateKing]

Australia is closer.

 

[Boom Boom Pow]

I actually had a dream that I was in the future where all major cities were interconnected by rail

e.g. London, Paris, Munich, New York, New Dehli

I think it took me 3 hours to go from London to New York in my dream.

it would be easier and faster to just build faster airplanes...lol

 

[perfectchaos007]

I thought the best way to connect Asia to the Americas would be a ferry that would take passenger cars across the Bering strait. But I guess a multi billion dollar high speed rail would do.

 

[JJDinomite]

High speed rails are really only effective in small to medium distances. I can't imagine this ever happening or working.

 

[Dai Kaiju]

People may scoff now but investing in electric powered international travel isn't a bad idea.


The Bering Strait is only 100km wide, you'd only be down there for half an hour at most. The reason it takes so long is because it goes a long way up and back down while on the mainlands.

I'm pretty sure china is hoping investors share that logic and fall for this trap.

Regarding the Bering Straight being 100km wide though...are you sure? I'm not saying you're wrong, because I honestly don't know, but the article says the underwater portion would be 200km long.

 

[Sectorseven]

They should build an elevator through the Earth.

 

[TCRS]

or

you could just take a plane. two day journey lol.

 

[Massive Duck. C.M.]

think you can get most of that first class on an a380.

but i would imagine that kind of comfort is gonna be way cheaper on a train.

exactly

 

[Paches]

I would rather fly a plane out of Seattle than fly up to Alaska and go to some remote train station to get to Siberia.

 

[old]

I support this. That would be awesome. We should have one to Europe as well.

 

[john tv]

Aren't China's high-speed trains shoddy as hell? If it were Japan, maybe, but China? Hmm...

 

[Dougald]

I support this. That would be awesome. We should have one to Europe as well.

Technically you can already take the train from London to Siberia, if you change... so you would!

 

[Abounder]

Sounds like a good set-piece for the next James Bond movie. No Mr. Bond, I want you to ride!...and then die

But will Japan be neglected considering their relations with China? I wouldn't mind a pitstop over there. Speaking of Japan maybe this could be a way to get their immigration and population on the plus side but it will take decades for the rail to be made

 

[JCX]

Would the US contribute to this financially? We can't even build public support for high speed rail domestically let alone internationally. I like the idea though.

 

[iamblades]

On the one hand, I love seeing mega-engineering projects like this and want to see it happen.

On the other hand, What could possible go wrong with a 200 km undersea tunnel in one of the most geologically active areas on the planet?

 

[slit]

WEEEEEEEEE!

Actually that would be cool. There should be one that goes to the European continent too. Now paying for it? Well that another issue altogether.

 

[rocketskates]

I'm sure working with China and Russia on something like this would be delightful.

And make it easier for the commies to come to america? I don't think so.

Its a trap. Its really a tunnel for their invading army.

This would be a terrorist dream and a security nightmare

This is how the Chinese invade Alaska.

#falloutforeshadowing

Nope.

:dead

 

[willow ve]

No vacuum sealed hyperloop. No deal.

 

[SwiftDeath]

I don't think people understand the ramifications of having a cheap rail line between China and the US on freight shipping

There is a very real economic incentive to have a rail line like this and "lol build faster planes" in no way solves that glaring issue that the current global economy has

 

[Blablurn]

Aren't China's high-speed trains shoddy as hell? If it were Japan, maybe, but China? Hmm...

nah, the high speed trains are fine. the normal ones are shoddy as hell.

 

[WedgeX]

Let's do this. Connect everyone!

 

[Pedrito]

I don't think people understand the ramifications of having a cheap rail line between China and the US on freight shipping

There is a very real economic incentive to have a rail line like this and "lol build faster planes" in no way solves that glaring issue that the current global economy has

Cheap?

Do you realise how much it would cost to build and maintain that rail line? It would probably take 100+ years for it to make a profit, if it ever does.

 

[Oppo]

They should do it just for the electrical connection.

 

[Jackben]

I actually had a dream that I was in the future where all major cities were interconnected by rail

e.g. London, Paris, Munich, New York, New Dehli

I think it took me 3 hours to go from London to New York in my dream.

New York, London, Paris, Munich

 

[victreeb3l]

Yeah sorry I dont trust China to build this thing safely. I'll visit using the old fashion way.

 

[Gallbaro]

I would rather risk death in a Chinese tunnel for two days rather than suffer 20+ hours in a compressed tube, with not enough leg room for my sexy long legs.

-If this ends up being cheaper than those fly bedrooms.

--In all likely hood this would be a freight line!

 

[jts]

Under 2 days? What's the fucking point then? Pass.

 

[dbztrk]

think ill take my chances flying archaic airplanes, than go under the sea in a china built tunnel.

THIS x 100000000000000000000000000

 

[Dougald]

Cheap?

Do you realise how much it would cost to build and maintain that rail line? It would probably take 100+ years for it to make a profit, if it ever does.

It took until 2012 for the Channel Tunnel to start turning a profit, a considerably cheaper engineering project by comparison, and was also a project with real demand. So you hit the nail on the head there. I guess it could be "cheap" if its subsidized by government..

Would be fun to see the US/Russia equivalent of this though:

 

[TheRealTalker]

...sure


and I thought the pan Africa-MiddleEast-Europe rail was a crazy idea

 

[ProfessorX]

Needs cell phone service plus Internet.