A visionary idea is re-emerging in the global transportation landscape: an underwater tunnel connecting London to New Yorkallowing you to cover the distance in just one 54 minutes. This project, if realized, would revolutionize international mobility, dramatically reducing travel times and the environmental impact associated with transatlantic flights.
Cutting-edge technologies for an ambitious project
The heart of this proposal is the use of Vactraina magnetic levitation train that would travel in an almost airless environment, eliminating aerodynamic drag and allowing extraordinary speeds between 6,400 and 8,000 km/h. This would allow us to cover the approx 5,000 kilometers between the two cities in less than an hour.
Building a tunnel of this magnitude presents unprecedented engineering challenges. Among the proposed solutions are:
Building a transatlantic tunnel would require a colossal investment, with estimates ranging from tens of billions to trillions of dollars. In addition to costs, there are challenges related to safety, maintenance and the environmental impact of a project of this scale.
A dream that has its roots in the past
The idea of a tunnel under the Atlantic is not new. As early as 1888, Michel Verne, son of Jules Verne, described a submarine train between Europe and America in a story entitled “Un Express de l’avenir”. Since then, the idea has continued to fascinate engineers and visionaries, while remaining in the realm of science fiction.
If built, a transatlantic tunnel could represent an ecological turning point in transport, offering an alternative to long-distance flights, notoriously high on the environment. However, the construction and maintenance of such an infrastructure presents important challenges from the point of view of environmental impact, which would require innovative strategies to minimize its effects.
