The ambitious tunnel of Elon Musk between New York and London: what you need to know about this project
The idea of a transatlantic tunnel is not new. For over a century, engineers and writers have imagined a direct route between America and Europe, connecting New York and London with ultra-fast trains. Today, with technology advancing rapidly, the concept is back on the table, but with an estimated cost that makes it almost unthinkable: $19 trillion (15 trillion pounds).
Elon Musk has reignited the conversation by stating that his company, , could build it for “a thousand times less money”. This would mean a budget of $19 billion, a gigantic figure, but within what could be considered a viable investment in large infrastructures. However, the project faces colossal challenges, both technological, geological, and financial.
A dream with over a century of history
The idea of a submarine tunnel between America and Europe has been explored in literature since the 19th century. In 1895, Michel Verne, son of the legendary Jules Verne, imagined a transatlantic train in his story An Express of the Future. Decades later, in 1913, the German Bernhard Kellerman published Der Tunnel, a work that inspired a British film in 1935.
In the 20th century, American engineer Robert H. Goddard, a pioneer in liquid fuel rockets, obtained patents for a similar system. But although the idea has been recurrent, it has always collided with the same barrier: its technical and economic viability.
To put it into perspective, the Eurotunnel, which connects the UK with France, cost $13.6 billion and is only 31.4 miles long. Building a tunnel 3,400 miles under the Atlantic is an unprecedented feat, which involves dealing with extreme conditions and .
Hypersonic trains: the key to the project
The core of the proposal is the combination of two technologies:
- Magnetic levitation trains (maglev): already operate in countries like Japan, Germany, and China, but at speeds well below the 4,800 km/h needed to fulfill the promise of connecting New York and London in 54 minutes.
- Vacuum tunnels: by eliminating air from the conduit, aerodynamic resistance would be reduced, allowing speeds close to the speed of sound. This concept is similar to Hyperloop, as an alternative to commercial flights.
Despite the enthusiasm, the Hyperloop has yet to prove itself viable on a large scale. So far, there are only prototypes that have achieved very limited speeds. In 2024, the European Hyperloop Center launched a test train, but its speed was similar to that of an urban subway. In China, the T-Flight prototype reached 622 km/h in an experimental tunnel just two kilometers long.
While the technology may continue to advance, it is still far from making possible a train that travels at five times the speed of a Boeing 737.
The biggest obstacle: construction under the Atlantic
Beyond speed and transportation engineering, the biggest challenge of the transatlantic tunnel is its construction.
- An unstable terrain: the tunnel would have to cross the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a 1,500-kilometer-wide underwater mountain range with constant volcanic and seismic activity. The area is a point of friction between the tectonic plates of America and Africa, causing the seabed to move and regularly expel lava.
- Extreme oceanic pressure: along its 5,470 kilometers, the tunnel would have to withstand abysmal depths, where the pressure is tens of times higher than on the surface.
- Geological difficulties: much smaller projects have encountered insurmountable obstacles. The underwater tunnel between Spain and Morocco, only 17 kilometers long, remains paralyzed by unexpected terrain problems.
Elon Musk and his promise to reduce costs
Elon Musk is known for making bold claims. In 2016, frustrated with traffic in Los Angeles, he announced that he would build tunnels to alleviate congestion. Thus, The Boring Company was born, which has developed, although on a scale far from what the Transatlantic Tunnel would require.
The tycoon claims that his company could build the tunnel for $19 billion, a fraction of the projected cost. However, when compared to other infrastructure projects, this estimate seems difficult to sustain.
The Eurotunnel cost $13.6 billion for only 50.5 kilometers, which means a cost per kilometer of $269 million. If we apply that calculation to the transatlantic tunnel, the total cost would exceed $1.47 trillion, nearly a hundred times more than Musk suggests.
Reality or just an impossible concept?
Despite Musk’s enthusiasm, the possibility of building the Transatlantic Tunnel in the near future is highly unlikely. Technological, geological, and economic barriers make it one of the most challenging projects in history.
Without significant advances in the construction of deep underwater tunnels and without concrete evidence that maglev trains in a vacuum can safely reach supersonic speeds, the project remains more of a futuristic fantasy than a tangible reality.
For now, the idea of traveling from New York to London in less than an hour remains a dream that, while fascinating, is probably not something we will see realized for many decades to come.
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