• Alaska to Russia by rail - it might happen
    86 replies, posted
Source - [url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article1680121.ece]The Times[/url] [quote]Russia has unveiled an ambitious plan to build the world’s longest tunnel under the Bering Strait as part of a transport corridor linking Europe and America via Siberia and Alaska. The 64-mile (103km) tunnel would connect the far east of Russia with Alaska, opening up the prospect of the ultimate rail trip across three quarters of the globe from London to New York. The link would be twice as long as the Channel Tunnel connecting Britain and France. The $65 billion (£33 billion) mega-project aims to transform trade links between Russia and its former Cold War enemies across some of the world’s most desolate terrain. It would create a high-speed railway line, energy links and a fibreoptic cable network. Proposals for a tunnel under the Bering Strait were first advanced a century ago under Tsar Nicholas II but foundered with the outbreak of the First World War and the Russian Revolution. The idea was revived after the collapse of the Soviet Union but was shelved once again in Russia’s financial meltdown of 1998. Russian officials insist that the tunnel is an economic idea whose time has now come and that it could be ready within ten years. They argue that it would repay construction costs by stimulating up to 100 million tons of freight traffic each year, as well as supplying oil, gas and electricity from Siberia to the US and Canada.[/quote] Could just be a pipedream of course, but I can see the benefits for this being vast. And I could go to Asia by land which is really fucking cool.
They made one across the Channel. They can pull this off.
Alright this will be so much cheaper than flying to russia i might be able to go there in my life :excited:
[QUOTE=MightyMax;31924494]Alright this will be so much cheaper than flying to russia i might be able to go there in my life :excited:[/QUOTE] Well, getting to Alaska and then getting [i]out[/i] of Siberia would be the most expensive part.
Let's do this!
mmm seems good can't see this being used for military means although we could become dependent on Russian oil zomg
I can see this being complete in around 15 years
This means the Old and New worlds will be technically connected by land.
I've always wanted this to happen. It means we can go practically anywhere in the world by land (except Australia)
[QUOTE=MightyMax;31924494]Alright this will be so much cheaper than flying to russia i might be able to go there in my life :excited:[/QUOTE] Plane tickets are ungodly expensive to get to Alaska as well.
[QUOTE=SPESSMEHREN;31924767]Plane tickets are ungodly expensive to get to Alaska as well.[/QUOTE] I have heard from a friend in Texas that passenger rail transport in the USA is practically non-existent.
That sounds like bullshit. Unlike the Channel Tunnel, there is nothing of value on either side of what they're proposing. A frozen wasteland in Siberia and a frozen wasteland in Alaska. Both are so far from relevant civilization that any sane person would just fly to their destination instead of enduring a days-long train grind through the empty tundra.
that would be fucking awesome
[QUOTE=Sobotnik;31924810]I have heard from a friend in Texas that passenger rail transport in the USA is practically non-existent.[/QUOTE] It exists, but its buttfuck expensive. Dallas to San Antonio? $500? 2 people? NO
[QUOTE=Sobotnik;31924810]I have heard from a friend in Texas that passenger rail transport in the USA is practically non-existent.[/QUOTE] He's right, as far as I know.
[QUOTE=Used Car Salesman;31924834]That sounds like bullshit. Unlike the Channel Tunnel, there is nothing of value on either side of what they're proposing. A frozen wasteland in Siberia and a frozen wasteland in Alaska. Both are so far from relevant civilization that any sane person would just fly to their destination instead of enduring a days-long train grind through the empty tundra.[/QUOTE] Yeah I can't honestly see the point. The amount of money it would cost someone to get from any non-Alaskan North American state/province to anywhere of any interest (aka not Siberia) in Russia or any other part of Asia for that matter would be about the same as a plane ticket, and a plane would be [I]infinitely[/I] faster.
So if they installed fiber optic lines through the tunnel, would that technically mean a better ping when connecting to Russian servers? Or Japan? Assuming they lease a portion of the lines to north american ISPs
[QUOTE=DarkCisco;31924855]It exists, but its buttfuck expensive. Dallas to San Antonio? $500? 2 people? NO[/QUOTE] How the fuck did this happen.
[QUOTE=littlefoot;31924885]He's right, as far as I know.[/QUOTE] um no I went from St. Louis to Chicago on the Amtrack for $40 watched a movie on the train too, thanks to the nice lady sitting next to me :v:
That's impossible.
[QUOTE=Noz;31925013]That's impossible.[/QUOTE] There are tunnels longer than this in the world already
[QUOTE=Mbbird;31924928]Yeah I can't honestly see the point. The amount of money it would cost someone to get from any non-Alaskan North American state/province to anywhere of any interest (aka not Siberia) in Russia or any other part of Asia for that matter would be about the same as a plane ticket, and a plane would be [I]infinitely[/I] faster.[/QUOTE] Along with some passenger travel oil pipelines, fibre optic cables, etc alongside the tracks and railways are the most efficient way of moving things around. (Smooth steel wheels on smooth steel rails means almost no friction, to the point it takes several miles for a train going at full speed to slow to a stop). Btw to "Might happen in title". I feel as though The enlightened Brethren and Jeffery might have something to say about making this happen.
[QUOTE=Zeke129;31925063]There are tunnels longer than this in the world already[/QUOTE] In places where there's much easier terrain and bettter infrastructure.
[QUOTE=Sobotnik;31924750]This means the Old and New worlds will be technically connected by land.[/QUOTE] Using that logic, everything everywhere is connected by land. The land is just underwater.
[QUOTE=DarkCisco;31924855]It exists, but its buttfuck expensive. Dallas to San Antonio? $500? 2 people? NO[/QUOTE] Not really. Amtrak does tickets for about $50-$70 per person.
[QUOTE=Mr. Someguy;31925143]Using that logic, everything everywhere is connected by land. The land is just underwater.[/QUOTE] Well I remember some guy in a documentary on the Channel Tunnel going "Well technically England and France are connected by land". Maybe he meant as in the ability to travel between them without leaving the ground/dry shore.
[QUOTE=JoeSkylynx;31925163]Not really. Amtrak does tickets for about $50-$70 per person.[/QUOTE] or less, in my case
[QUOTE=Used Car Salesman;31924834]That sounds like bullshit. Unlike the Channel Tunnel, there is nothing of value on either side of what they're proposing. A frozen wasteland in Siberia and a frozen wasteland in Alaska. Both are so far from relevant civilization that any sane person would just fly to their destination instead of enduring a days-long train grind through the empty tundra.[/QUOTE] Chances are they could use it for cargo and oil n' shit, but pipelines and freighters already have that covered.
I was once planning on going back to Buffalo, NY by Amtrak. Would of cost me $170. This was about a year back.
[QUOTE=JoeSkylynx;31925163]Not really. Amtrak does tickets for about $50-$70 per person.[/QUOTE] yah but amtrack sucks something horrid.
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