What the Transatlantic Tunnel would look like and how much it would cost: Musk's idea to travel from New York to London
The Transatlantic Tunnel , an idea that has been the stuff of science fiction for more than a century, is back in the spotlight thanks to technological advances. The proposal aims to link New York and London in just 54 minutes, reaching speeds of around 5,000 kilometres per hour . However, the estimated cost of the project is $19 billion (£15 billion) – more than five times the UK's gross domestic product (GDP) .
Entrepreneur Elon Musk has reignited the debate by claiming that his company, The Boring Company , could build it for “a thousand times less money.” According to his calculations, the project could be built for $19 billion — a huge figure, but within the range of other infrastructure megaprojects. However, his claim lacks concrete technical and financial details, which has generated skepticism in the scientific and engineering community.
A concept with more than a century of historyAlthough it may seem like a futuristic project, the idea of a transatlantic tunnel is not new . In 1895 , Michel Verne , son of the famous writer Jules Verne , imagined an underwater train between America and Europe in his story Un Express de l'Avenir . In 1913 , the German Bernhard Kellerman published the novel Der Tunnel , which inspired the British film Transatlantic Tunnel in 1935 .
Later, liquid-fuel rocket pioneer Robert H. Goddard also developed patents based on a similar concept. Despite these visionary ideas, technological and economic barriers have made the proposal still unviable .
To understand the scale of the challenge, it is enough to recall that the Eurotunnel , which links the United Kingdom with France, cost 13.6 billion dollars for a distance of 50.5 kilometres . Building a tunnel of 5,470 kilometres under the Atlantic would be an unprecedented challenge, with abysmal depths and highly unstable geology .
Trains that defy the speed of soundThe project is based on two key technologies:
Magnetic levitation (maglev) : This allows trains to float above the tracks thanks to powerful magnets , reducing friction to a minimum. This technology is already used in countries such as Japan, Germany and China , although at much lower speeds. For example, the Shanghai Maglev reaches 431 km/h , far from the 4,800 km/h that would be needed for the transatlantic tunnel.
Vacuum tunnels : Removing the air inside the tunnel would reduce aerodynamic drag , allowing for speeds close to the speed of sound . This is the principle of the Hyperloop , a concept that Musk presented in 2013 as an alternative to commercial flights on routes such as Los Angeles - San Francisco .
Although the Hyperloop has made progress, its development has been slower than expected . In 2024 , the European Hyperloop Centre launched a prototype, but its speed was similar to that of an urban metro . In China , a test train called T-Flight reached 622 km/h in October 2024, in a tunnel of just two kilometers.
The challenges of building a tunnel under the AtlanticBeyond the transportation technology, the biggest hurdle is the construction itself . A 5,470-kilometer tunnel under the Atlantic Ocean would not only be the largest engineering feat in history , but also the most dangerous .
The main difficulties include:
- Extreme ocean pressure : The infrastructure would have to withstand pressure levels much higher than any existing subsea tunnel.
- Volcanic and seismic activity : The tunnel would pass through the Mid-Atlantic Ridge , a 1,500-kilometer-wide underwater mountain range with intense tectonic and volcanic activity .
- Unstable geology : The bottom of the Atlantic is not a smooth surface, but a zone of constant movement where the American and African plates separate every year .
- Exorbitant costs : Geological problems have paralyzed much smaller projects, such as the underwater tunnel between Spain and Morocco , just 17 kilometers long.
The Transatlantic Tunnel represents an engineering dream , but its feasibility remains highly questionable . Despite advances in magnetic levitation, vacuum tunnels and high-speed transport , economic, technological and geological challenges make it a virtually impossible project in the short to medium term.
While Musk and other visionaries are trying to imagine solutions, the future of ultra-fast transportation still has a long way to go before this ambitious project becomes a reality.
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