[TheTigerMaster]

I bet that the line from Beijing to Vancouver would be jointly owned by the Chinese and Russian governments.

Both China and Russia are good friends these days.

If this is built, I'd bet that it would be 100% owned, or at least 100% paid for, by the Chinese or Russians. Canada and the United States definitely aren't putting any money into this thing.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

^ 3 years for the island tunnel is for construction only.

200 meters of tunnel taking 3 years is really slow... let's not deny that. Shanghai's Dalian road tunnel, which is 2.5 KM, took 2 years and 4 months.

Shanghai's subway line 12 (phase one), which is 19km (same as Eglinton Crosstown), took 3.5 years (July 2010-Dec 2013).

We all know China is different in many respects, but what we do here is really really slow for many unjustifiable reasons.

How? I don't understand how they get it done so fast. Something tells me that their safety regulations aren't as strict, but it has to be something other than that.

Maybe they just put more money into their projects. More money means more TBMs which means faster tunnel building. Also with enough money they could have more workers to build more stations at once.

 

[TOareaFan]

If this is built, I'd bet that it would be 100% owned, or at least 100% paid for, by the Chinese or Russians. Canada and the United States definitely aren't putting any money into this thing.

So the Russians, who once owned Alaska and is now banning the US from the Space station would expect the Americans to allow them to own/run trains in America? this is getting a bit far fetched.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

So the Russians, who once owned Alaska and is now banning the US from the Space station would expect the Americans to allow them to own/run trains in America? this is getting a bit far fetched.

This is why I don't think this thing will be built. It's politically infeasible.

 

[FNTS]

This all reads like a publicity stunt for "Snowpiercer"

 

[ehlow]

This all reads like a publicity stunt for "Snowpiercer"

LOL, can't wait to actually see that movie.

 

[ksun]

How? I don't understand how they get it done so fast. Something tells me that their safety regulations aren't as strict, but it has to be something other than that.

Maybe they just put more money into their projects. More money means more TBMs which means faster tunnel building. Also with enough money they could have more workers to build more stations at once.

I don't know... seems anything in China is super fast.

line 11, phase I: 33 km, 17 stations, March 2007- Dec 2009,
line 11, phase II: 32 km, 13 stations, Dec 2008 - Aug 2013 (involves tunneling under the Huangpu River)

Considering the 19 km Eglinton Crosstown is taking 10-11 years, they probably have a lot more money and manpower than Toronto.

 

[Johnny Au]

I don't know... seems anything in China is super fast.

line 11, phase I: 33 km, 17 stations, March 2007- Dec 2009,
line 11, phase II: 32 km, 13 stations, Dec 2008 - Aug 2013 (involves tunneling under the Huangpu River)

Considering the 19 km Eglinton Crosstown is taking 10-11 years, they probably have a lot more money and manpower than Toronto.

,,,and fewer labour regulations and public consulting as well

 

[dunkalunk]

I'll start taking this seriously just as soon as a post-Panamax is built through Nicaragua.

 

[diminutive]

This will obviously never happen. It makes no sense. It could never be time/cost competitive with airplanes for passenger travel and would never be cost competitive with cargo ships for freight.

Western news outlets just love picking up these outlandish stories because it fits into the narrative of gee-whiz technocratic authoritarian regimes building mega projects. Just like how every year there's an article about Russia/China colonizing the moon or Mars by 2020 or whatever. Or how people still think things like Nazi Germany was close to developing nuclear weapons...

China Daily claims that the technology to construct such a long underwater tunnel already exists and will be used to build a tunnel to connect China’s Fujian province with Taiwan. “Right now we’re already in discussions. Russia has already been thinking about this for many years,” said a railway expert cited by the Beijing Times, according to the Independent’s report on the story. The train would reportedly travel at around 350 kilometres per hour, meaning the entire trip between the United States and China would take around two days.

Yea, sure, Taiwan tunnel. That'll happen.

 

[newearthling]

I thought the article was interesting for the idea of the tunnel.
But it also highlights the notion that North America could be transitioning into a Chinese colony.
China definitely owns the US.
We need to welcome our new quick-transit-building-overlords.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

They'd probably be better transit funding partners than the Ontario government. Maybe we could ask China for some subways?

 

[dowlingm]

Has anyone told Sarah Palin about this?

 

[Xiaohaha]

China builds infrastructure much faster due to a confluence of factors. Entire subway, high way and rail systems are centrally planned years in advance, and there is continuity in policy such that any change in leadership would not derail the execution of these plans. It is also much easier to get capital from state owned banks, and land acquisition is less of an issue (this has changed in recent years, with various 'nail houses' propping up). Finally, they have huge economy of scale advantages. China builds around 500 km of subways a year, so they can do it cheaper and faster on a per-km basis.

 

[vegeta_skyline]

Chunnel is only the world's 10th longest tunnel. And among the top 10, 3 are in China.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_longest_tunnels_in_the_world

Only 2 months ago, China unveils a plan to build the 77 mile tunnel between two coastal cities, and to be the world's longest
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...d-77-mile-22billion-tunnel-longest-world.html

It is China we are talking about. They get things done and done fast. It is not Toronto where the non-challenging 200 meter island airport tunnel is take 3 years. It takes less time for China to build a 20km subway.

this is sooner than the completion of our 19km Eglinton line , LOL

Water supply tunnels are not the same thing as transportation tunnels. 77 vs 200 mile is still a big difference and last time I checked we don't have 20,000 people(likely working for little more than peanuts) working on the Eglinton line - LOL.

Both China and Russia are good friends these days.

But Russia and the US aren't exactly that these days, if their involved theres even less chance of this happening.




I know people are in love with HSR on here but...

This will obviously never happen. It makes no sense. It could never be time/cost competitive with airplanes for passenger travel and would never be cost competitive with cargo ships for freight.

End discussion/close thread.