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Could the UK and America soon be linked by a 3,400-mile tunnel?

A recent ‘thought experiment’ reckons a tunnel under the Atlantic between London and New York would cost £15 trillion

Annie McNamee
Written by
Annie McNamee
Contributor, Time Out London and UK
MRT dug tunnel with railway track
Photograph: Shutterstock
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The UK and the US have long had a special bond – and soon that connection could get even more unique, A 3,400-mile long trans-Atlantic tunnel has been proposed that could connect New York and London by train.

We’ll be honest – this isn’t a ‘work begins next week’ type of project. In fact, it’s more a thought experiment than an actual plan. The route, which would be nearly 145 times longer than the Channel Tunnel, would cost £15 trillion, with a ‘t’. What’s more, it would use technology that doesn’t actually exist yet. Basically, it’s not coming anytime soon.

That doesn’t mean the tunnel will never happen though. Engineers have proposed a type of train which would travel along a vacuum, and thus be able to move at a speed of 5,000 kilometres per hour. That would turn the seven-hour flight across the Atlantic into a less-than-one-hour long train journey. Others have looked into basically propelling carriages along with jetpacks. As we say, this is very much the infrastructure of tomorrow.

Due to the cost, and the small hurdle of the technology not yet being invented, this tunnel is probably not going to happen for a few decades at least. Still, it’s nice to dream. Until then, flying or sailing will have to do. 

Transport in the UK

We may not be getting a transatlantic tunnel anytime soon, but there’s still plenty to talk about in the world of UK transport, such as new flights being launched from the UK, the upcoming M25 closures, and the latest information about ongoing strikes with our national industrial action hub

Did you see that the UK could be hit with a heatwave next week?

Plus: Wales’ most haunted house is now on the market.

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