Is this Project Crazy?

On the world stage lengthy passenger rail tunnels are common and growing. In most cases it is a question of going under a mountain range (Gotthard Base Tunnel) or under water (Seikan Tunnel). In our case the obstacle to a high-speed rail line is wetlands and the developed landscape between Springfield and Boston.  The cost of land taking in dollars, time, public and political opposition makes it a nonstarter. 

We must go underground. Here are some rail tunnels to consider:

• Gotthard Base Tunnel. Switzerland. 35.5 miles long. Completed 2016

• Guangzhou Metro Line 3. China. 37.5 miles long. Completed 2010

• Beijing Subway Line 10. China. 35.5 miles long. Completed 2012

• Seikan Tunnel. Japan. 33.5 miles long. Completed 1988.

Under construction there is:

• Paris Metro Line 15. France. 46.6 miles long Completion date 2030

• Moscow Metro Line. Russia. 42.9 miles long. Completion date 2022

• Brenner Base Tunnel. Austria- Italy. 34.2 miles long. Completion date 2025

In planning stage:

• Taiwan Strait Rail Tunnel. China/Taiwan. 93.2 miles

• Bohai Strait Rail Tunnel. China. 76.4 miles long

• Talsinki Rail Tunnel. Finland/Estonia. 62.1 miles long

The world is moving forward with rail projects to handle the congestion on the roads and to make their transportation systems globally competitive.

The current proposals are tweaking our 19th century rail system to bring it up to 1940 standards.