We’re not saying you should cancel your plane tickets anytime soon. But if you’re thinking about traveling to London, that flight from Miami is going to take about nine hours — not counting the time you’d be spending at the airport or even getting there. What if that journey was slashed to more than half that time?
It may sound like science fiction, but several outlets like Newsweek and CNN have reported on a proposed transatlantic tunnel that would reimagine transportation between the two nations. The idea is not new by any means and is only in the theoretical stage, but would involve building a tunnel under the Atlantic Ocean to connect the East Coast and London while reducing travel time to just 54 minutes.
Reports indicate that the ambitious endeavor could come with a $20 trillion price tag, almost the size of the U.S. economy. Although Elon Musk has claimed his tunnel construction business, The Boring Company, could do it for “1000X less money.”
The project takes inspiration from the existing Channel Tunnel, which travels from Folkstone, England to Coquelles, France in just 35 minutes. It’s currently the longest undersea tunnel in the world, with 23.5 miles running under the English Channel.
If it all goes to plan, theorists estimate the proposed tunnel could bring passengers on the 3,400-mile journey from New York to London in under an hour. It would have to zoom at speeds exceeding 5,000 miles per hour.
There is no solidified design or timeline. However, several proposals have been put forth, ranging from constructing the entire tunnel beneath the ocean floor to a floating tunnel anchored by cables and submerged just below the water’s surface. Others suggest a combination of the two.
Could you imagine finding yourself in Europe much faster than on that nine-hour flight? While we may have to stick with planes for now, plans are well underway for a similar form of transportation linking Europe and Africa. A historic tunnel between Spain and Morocco is being considered by the two continents and aims to become a reality by 2040. The total rail line would be about 26 miles long, with 17 miles underwater.