'Such a rail link was proposed several years back, and gained some media attentio, at that time. Magazine cover art,IIRC even some coverage and comment here on the TRAINS Forum…
Seems that the Chinese “New Silk Road Initiative” is apparently, stiring interest in creating the link tha twas proposed some years back; connecting the Asian land mass to North America, via a rail connection between Siberia and Alaska.
What makes you think that this new proposal is reviving any sort of interest in that proposal from over a decade ago about creating a rail link across the Bering Strait?
It was difficult to take it seriously back then. And with today’s crisis it’s laughable and I can’t imagine anyone in a position of power in North America or Russia thinking it’s a possible option anytime soon.
Controversial Idea? You Bet it is! But so was the Chunnel between historic countries that had fought each other in a umber of conflicts; but today, it is a matter of fact, and commerce between those nations.
The Chinese, are apparently, awash in ‘Cash’ [ sourced with ‘Western Cash’ (?)] and political ambitions…They are funding all sorts of construction projects aroun d the word. Who would have ever conceived they would contgrol/own(?) the Panama Canal. Also control much of the International Commerce all over the world. Not to conceive of, but to be on the cusp of putting together a "road’ and rail, project thatr would tie together all sorts of historicaly diffewrrent nations and their politically different histories?
As the old saying goes.“…Never, Say Never…” A potential, International railroad, and attendent empire? Surely, a topic for these Forums.
If Alaska were connected to the rest of North America by rail this would make more sense. Also, any tunneling in this part of the world AKA “The Ring of Fire” would require onerous seismic design considerations.
Despite the political issues - that at present are beyond solving. The reality is that one is trying to tunnel between both sides of the ‘Ring of Fire’. Both sides of the Pacific are seismicly active as various continental plates keep moving against one another with their earthquakes and volcanoes.
The other factor is that such a railroad will travel through some of the coldest most inhospitable regions of the globe on both sides of the Bering Strait.
Think about the aforementioned circumvention of Russia for the other proposed link a Ross Uzbekistan and Kazanstan. One big reason to choose that route is they are not Siberia. Yes there is currently a few trains that went by that route for a while between China and Europe. But the Ukraine war pretty much puts and end to that.
The relationship between the UK and France in 1973 (when final agreement was reached to dig the channel tunnel) bears no comparison whatsoever to that between the U.S. and Russia today.
You’re talking 3,000 miles from Seattle to the Siberian coast (at the narrowest point of the Bearing strait), and at least another 3,000 miles beyond that to get to any freight worth hauling. (other than water[:-,] )
So, how far do locomotives typically travel on a full tank of fuel? How many crew changes to travel 6,000 miles?
Would Russia make a viable source of water enabling us to circumvent protective covenants restricting water use on this continent? [}:)]
Not to worry, it will be electrified with the juice provided by windmills. How about a tunnet between Newfoundland and Ireland? It’s only about 2000 miles
I don’t really have an answer for that. Under current conditions, I see scant opportunity.
But, things can always change. A significant political collapse on either side of the Bering strait could suddenly make such a link expediently advantageous.
Alternately, climate change could become a driver. If things get to the point where it becomes more a matter of moving people to where the water is, rather than vice versa…then that 6,000 mile figure mentioned earlier might become substantially reduced?
You need to think more like a European zero-carbon renewable-resource salesman.
What you MEANT was to build a floating bridge between Halifax (much better rail connections!) with a dedicated line across Ireland and then an equally-interesting way to cross to Britain (Stranraer-Larne ideas?). Support the floating bridge by constructing floating wind-power farms all the way across.
Icebergs? use autonomous tugs to tow them to ports for water-by-rail in the frozen or liquid state. Storms? put most of the wind-farm infrastructure 30’ or more below MSL. It’s obvious how the generated power cables would be routed…
With the focus connecting to sibera, one would conclude they plan to connect with the existing Trans-Siberian line. Will they use compromise wheel-treads on interchanged equipment or use a break-bulk operation? Not sure if braking systems on cars are ineroperable.