A Russia-US rail link?

The Russians seem to think it's possible.

That's an awful lot of infrastructure to put in place, though.

Unless they bank on global warming to make Alaska and the Serbian Straits becoming the happening place in the near future I really can't see anyone doing this.

Awesome!!!

Just to put this in perspective: This project would require building a railroad through a part of the world where there are no highways whatsoever, and pretty much all transportation is by airplane, helicopter or boat (and even those are iffy during the winter). Aside from a few Alaskan Native villages, no one even lives there.

It'd be kind of pointless unless you connected it to the US/Canada rail system somehow...and there are no overland connections to Canada or the lower 48 at all in Alaska, meaning you'd have to punch through the Yukon to the existing rail network in BC or AB. This is a huge project, one that would cost billions and, well, if they started now they might be done when I'm dead. :P

edited 23rd Oct '11 3:45:47 AM by lee4hmz

More important to ask, what kind of benefit would a railroad have above the usual maritime transport?

I think all that this is going to do is waste resources that could be used in building the space elevator.

edited 23rd Oct '11 4:28:52 AM by joeyjojo

Silly. As the article notes, that's 2,000 km from existing US or Canadian railroads.

The Chunnel worked because English and French rail already ran to the Channel...

Yeah, while I can applaud the intentions, sometimes you have to accept that you really, truly can't get there from here.

Why do I get the feeling they only want to do this because they want an overland route to send the Red Russian Army into the US because they know they'll never get an amphibious strike force past the US Pacific Fleet? I don't know, something about a Bering Strait railway when there are no railroads near the Bering Strait (on either side) strikes me as a tad suspicious.

@Tom: because you are who you are?

Nah, something about it just doesn't add up. There are no railways anywhere near either possible endpoint so the bridge will literally be a bridge to nowhere. Building it for the sake of building it is not a good enough reason.

Forget this rubbish. We should be finishing Cape-to-Cairo!

So I'd say it's just yet another ridiculous building proposal. The difference is that opposed to Dubai and its big one, here both parties have better things to spend money on.

Well, considering such a thing would be ridiculously easy to destroy, I sure wouldn't want to try and invade across it.

"Oh, look, Russian troops!"

"Eh, just drop a cruise missile/torpedo on it so we can go out for lunch."

Besides, I imagine the trade would increase if we could get it to work. It sounds cool, anyhow. Too bad it won't work.

That is the most awesomely paranoid thing you've ever posted. Congratulations, sir

While I don't think this will ever happen - not in the near-future, anyway - it would be great to be able to catch a train from London through to the European mainland, and from there across the trans-Siberian railway to cross over into the US and eventually end up in New York.

edited 23rd Oct '11 8:41:23 AM by pagad

@Tom - Yes, there actually are people who like building these sort of things for the hell of it. It's called bragging rights, and engineers love em. Especially Russian engineers, who seem to have building the impossible as a doctrine.

If anybody can pull this off, though, its the Russians. When it comes to low temperature construction projects, the Russians are the best in the world - and "impossible" is not a Russian word.

Also, I think its a brilliant idea, and really hope that America goes with it. Twenty billion over ten to fifteen years is not that much money, and think of the diplomatic value of the railway alone.

edited 23rd Oct '11 9:17:32 AM by MyGodItsFullofStars

nevozmozjni

Actually, this idea has been tossed around since the eighteen hundreds, when we were buddies with Russia. So it's not exactly new, it's just been brought up again.

@Tom, yeah, a train is a great way to bring in an army. Because we totally wouldn't notice that at all by the time they get to the continental US.

I'll tell you this, bragging rights is a large part of what has been the motivation for some of the largest fucking projects known to man. We don't need skyscrapers, but we fucking love building them anyway. To be able to say we did it would be a large part of the reason we would build this train. (And given that it would provide jobs for a good long while, I would be for it.) You're ignoring a large chunk of human nature if you don't think someone would want to do this in order to prove that they could, Tom. It's a challenge, and people love them some challenges.

Now, I don't see this taking place in my lifetime, but it would be pretty awesome to do it.

This could be interesting and could possibly open up new trade paths. Also Sarah Palin would see more then just Russia from her back yard she would see Russians :P

"...and in other news, a predictable international incident occurred today when former Governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin, went on a psychopathic rampage at the Anchorage International Railway Station. Authorities were forced to tranquilize Mrs. Palin after she attacked them, screaming 'RUSSIAN MOOSE THIEVES!' She is expected to make a full recovery. No patrons of the railway station were injured, as Mrs. Palin attacked a souvenir stand selling moose plush toys—believed to be what set her off. More on this story... at eleven."

USAF@Sorry,that one bit was a little too over the top.

I was thinking more along the lines she accidentally shoots a Russian that comes near her house because she mistakes the Russian for a moose.

edited 23rd Oct '11 2:37:46 PM by joyflower

I'll be sure to remember that and dispose of the various other jokes I've accumulated that come at Sarah Palin's expense.

Its a bit absurd for any reasons. Especially as a sneaky invasion plan. It'd be easier to defend then the Alamo.

I say we should put the money that would be planned for use on this and put it instead into developing FTL and teleporters.