It has the potential to connect the UK and the US in under an hour.
Imagine traveling between the USA and the UK in under an hour—turning what feels like a dream into an everyday possibility.
This futuristic vision could become a reality with ambitious proposals to build a Transatlantic Tunnel, connecting New York and London like never before.
Currently, the fastest way to travel between NYC and London is by air, with flights typically taking around eight hours.
The concept of reducing the journey time to just 54 minutes is undoubtedly enticing, but it would come with an astronomical price tag.
Estimated to cost $19.8 trillion, the proposed Transatlantic Tunnel would span 3,400 miles. Given the massive scale of the project, it’s believed that it could take decades to complete, due to the immense amount of work required to construct such an extensive tunnel.
For comparison, the Channel Tunnel, which connects England and France, is only 23.5 miles long and still took six years to build.
So, how would this work?
There are a few ideas on the table, including building the tunnel beneath the seabed or even suspending it over the Atlantic Ocean.
In the latter scenario, the tunnel would be held up by cables, effectively bypassing the challenges of building directly under the ocean.
Thanks to vacuum technology, it’s believed that trains could travel through this tunnel at speeds of over 3,000 mph, reducing the journey time to under an hour.
Another suggestion involves using jet propulsion, where engine thrust is generated by a fast-moving jet of fluid. However, this method would require a deceleration period of about 18 minutes to ensure a safe arrival.
While these proposals are intriguing, neither the US nor the UK governments currently have any plans to pursue such a project.
But with technological advancements, it remains a possibility for the future.
However, many Reddit users have pointed out that, should the tunnel ever be built, ticket prices would likely be astronomical.
One user remarked, “Perhaps more relevant than any technical issues, at that cost the price of a ticket would be sky high (ironically perhaps) to get any return in a reasonable timescale.”
Others highlighted the enormous financial challenges, with one comment stating, “It would cost an insane amount up-front. We’re talking enough to bankrupt every government in the world.”
They also argued that the tunnel would never pay for itself, as the yearly maintenance costs would likely exceed any savings in air or sea transport. Additionally, many people would still prefer air travel over taking a train for such a long journey, and sea freight would likely remain the cheaper option.
