NetEase
2020-12-25 08：07
Recently, the internationally renowned think tank Yingcai Institute has stated that the time is ripe for the construction of the Tsushima Strait Tunnel, because China, Japan, and South Korea are already among the world's top 10 economies in 2020, and the traffic of people and goods between these four countries, including North Korea, is enough to recoup the enormous costs of building the tunnel.
The Tsushima Strait Undersea Tunnel is planned to be built between Saga Prefecture in Kyushu, Japan, and Busan, South Korea. It will dig 100 to 200 meters underground in Chinzei Town, Saga Prefecture, 17 kilometers under the Iki Strait, 18 kilometers under Iki Island, and 47 kilometers across the Tsushima Strait to Tsushima Island. It will pass through 23 kilometers of the Tsushima Strait, 68 kilometers under the strait, and 30 kilometers under Geoje Island, reaching a depth of 300 meters. At 250 kilometers long, it will be the longest and deepest tunnel in the world. The undersea tunnel will be an 11-meter-diameter tunnel for high-speed passenger and freight trains. The total project cost is estimated at approximately US$80 billion. Japan will be responsible for the section from Karatsu in Kyushu to Tsushima Island, and South Korea will be responsible for the section from Tsushima Island to Busan. The sheer magnitude of the vision, the enormous scale, and the difficulty and danger of the project are unique.
At the same time, construction of the East Asia High-Speed Railway is also planned. The railway would begin in Beijing, pass through northeastern China, enter the Korean Peninsula, connect Pyongyang with Seoul, pass through the Tsushima Strait, and connect Osaka and Tokyo in Japan via an undersea tunnel. The high-speed railway would connect world-class cities such as Beijing, Seoul, Tokyo, and Osaka at a speed of 350 kilometers per hour. Professor Sasaki of Japan's Waseda University believes the East Asia High-Speed Railway would be the world's largest high-speed railway in terms of passenger volume. It would be possible to have breakfast in Beijing and lunch in Tokyo. The high-speed railway's annual net profits are expected to reach US$13 billion, with the entire construction cost expected to be recouped within 10 years.
The Tsushima Strait Tunnel and East Asia High-Speed Railway can be constructed simultaneously. The estimated construction period is seven years. The Tsushima Strait Tunnel will require an investment of US$70 billion, while the East Asia High-Speed Railway will require an investment of US$78 billion, bringing the total investment for the two major projects to US$148 billion. The line will connect megacities such as Beijing, Tianjin, Pyongyang, Seoul, Busan, Osaka, and Tokyo, and will be the world's largest transportation trunk line with the largest number of passengers.
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