The idea of rail connection between Russia and USA

January 16, 2009

How to connect Siberia (Russia) and Alaska (USA) for the purpose of commercial transportation? This is an idea that has been existing for a couple of centuries.

Russia, USA, Canada and China are involved in a 65 billion monster project that plans to build the world's longest tunnel, a transport and pipeline link under the Bering Strait to Alaska. The project costs also include about 10.000 km of new rails that will be set on the both continents. The project, which Russia is coordinating with the U.S. and Canada, would take 10 to 15 years to complete. China is also extremely interested in this project regarding to its economical advantage and is willing to finance the transport routes.

Bering Strait with underwater railroad tunnel zone as it is planned

A 6,000-kilometer (3,700-mile) transport corridor from Siberia into the U.S. will be connected through the tunnel, which at 64 miles will be more than twice as long as the underwater section of the Channel Tunnel between the U.K. and France, according to the plan. The tunnel would run in three sections to link the two islands in the Bering Strait between Russia and the USA.