Elon Musk could be the one to make talks of a transatlantic tunnel become a reality, according to a megaproject expert.
A tunnel between the U.S. and Europe has an estimated price tag of $20 trillion but Musk has claimed his companies might be able to build the structure for a fraction of that cost.
Why It Matters
The concept of a tunnel connecting America with Europe is not necessarily a new one, but recent breakthroughs in vacuum technology mean that the idea has only become genuinely viable recently.
Connecting New York and London by rail would be a game-changer for economic and recreational opportunities, given that both cities are major cultural and financial hubs. It would also significantly cut down the environmental footprint of long-haul transatlantic flights.
As one of the key players in the vacuum technology that would be needed for the tunnel, Elon Musk would be critical to starting work on the project and keeping costs low.
What To Know
Discussions over the viability of a transatlantic tunnel recently reentered the mainstream when breakthroughs in vacuum train technology indicated that train journeys through the tunnel would be made much shorter.
A typical flight between London and New York City, which is the most common route proposed in concepts for the transatlantic tunnel, takes around eight hours. Historically, even assuming the tunnel was constructed, trains would not run fast enough to justify building it in the first place.
However, breakthroughs in "vactrain" technology, which involves sending pressurized cabins through vacuum tubes to reduce air resistance, have meant that the 3,400-mile journey could theoretically be an hour-long train ride, with some estimates indicating that vactrains could reach speeds of around 5,000 mph (8,000 kmph).
Musk has played a big role in the development of the technology; his transportation organization, the Boring Company, has created prototype vacuum tubes with the intention of using the same kind of infrastructure to send cars underground in busy cities.
Professor Bent Flyvbjerg, a megaprojects economist at the University of Oxford and author ofHow Big Things Get Done, told Newsweek that it could be the best chance the tunnel has of seeing work started in the near future.
"If Musk thinks this is a realistic price tag and is interested, decision-makers should seriously consider offering him the job, provided that he carries the full risk of cost overrun," Flybbjerg told Newsweek.
"If Musk takes on the job, there is a chance that we might see the project work in our lifetimes, but it is still only a chance, far below 100%."
Flyvbjerg remained skeptical about the risk of construction, saying: "This would be a high-risk project."
What People Are Saying
Musk himself has expressed interest in the transatlantic tunnel project, writing on social media: "Boring Company could do it for 1000x less money". Reducing the cost of the project from the estimated $20 trillion price tag to just $20 billion would be a huge shift in the future of the concept.
What Happens Next
There are no established plans on either side of the Atlantic for construction of a transatlantic tunnel, as no proposal has been decided on yet.
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