China wants to build a 13,000-kilometer high-speed underwater train line connecting the country to the United States, passing through Siberia, eastern Russia, Alaska and the rocky peaks of Canada’s Yukon (always underwater), according to the ‘Ifl Science’ website.
The cost of the project is estimated at around $200 billion.
The plans came to light in 2014, when various media outlets broadcast a report by the ‘Beijing Times’ that outlined plans for China to build the 13,000-kilometer supertrain.
If confirmed going forward, the rail line will be called the ‘China-Russia-Canada-America’, thus extending to all four nations, contributing to a trade, tourism and economic boom.
At the time the project was announced, Chinese engineers said they were already in negotiations with Russia for the start of the line, showing great confidence that it would be possible to move forward with current technology.
Recall that already in 2018, China approved the world’s first underwater train line, which would stretch nationally from Ningbo, a port city near Shanghai, to Zhoushan, an archipelago of islands on the east coast
As impressive as the China-Russia-Canada-America line is, it seems to have been put on hold for the time being. Critics have attacked the proposal for being economically redundant, claiming that cargo and air ships are a cheaper trade option.
Whether they are right or not, the tensions between the world’s superpowers mean that such a collaboration – which would be the most expensive megaproject in world history – may be little more than a pipe dream.
Recall that as early as 2018, China approved the world’s first underwater train line, which would stretch nationally from Ningbo, a port city near Shanghai, to Zhoushan, an archipelago of islands on the east coast.
The United States, meanwhile, may be a little further behind. In 2020, the government approved a massive 2,570-kilometer rail line connecting the country to Canada.
At a cost of 18 billion euros, the line was a major leap forward for the US rail sector. However, with the rapid expansion of China’s train network, Japan’s famous network, and other nations, the United States is now lagging behind when it comes to rail innovation.
