Scientists agree on blueprint for what would be the world’s longest rail tunnel but politics means it is likely to remain a pipe dream for now

South China Morning Post 
Date: 06 August, 2018
By: Stephen Chen

After years of debate, Chinese scientists are close to a consensus on the design for what would be the world’s longest undersea railway tunnel, connecting the mainland to Taiwan.

If realised, shuttle trains could be whizzing through a 135 kilometre (84 mile) undersea section of the tunnel at up to 250km per hour by 2030.

The ambitious undertaking would include a multi-billion-yuan engineering and technical “warm-up” project, according to plans the scientists have sent the Chinese government, the South China Morning Post has learned.

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Despite this technological progress, rising political tensions between the self-ruled island and Beijing, which regards it as a renegade province, mean that the scheme is unlikely to come to fruition any time soon.    [FULL  STORY]