China Aims to Build High-Speed Rail to the US: Ambition Sparks Five Major Doubts

　　China is considering the possibility of building a high-speed rail to the US. The ambitious "China-Russia-Canada-US Railway" project spans 13,000 kilometers and would take two days from Beijing to San Francisco. But researchers have raised questions: Can this railway bring economic benefits? Who would spend two days on a train from Beijing to San Francisco? Who would be willing to transport goods through virgin forests and permafrost if there are enough sea routes? How much would a transcontinental railway cost? And don't forget that the high-speed rail would cross several countries. It is still unclear how it would operate and who would be its operator. If the countries along the route cannot reach an agreement, further cooperation would be impossible. This viewpoint deserves attention.

　　The ambitious "China-Russia-Canada-US Railway" project spans 13,000 kilometers, nearly 4,000 kilometers longer than the Trans-Siberian Railway. The average speed would reach 350 km/h, and it would take two days from Beijing to San Francisco.

　　However, this idea gives people many reasons for doubt. After all, building a tunnel under the Bering Strait alone would require an astonishing miracle in engineering. Maslennikov, an advisor at the Institute for Modern Development, pointed out that this tunnel would be the longest undersea tunnel in the world, almost twice as long as the English Channel Tunnel.
Maslennikov said: "The project requires serious assessment in ecological and geological aspects. The landscapes along the route are diverse and rich in groundwater. There is no global experience in carrying out similar projects in each section, whether in design or operation.
For example, the Bering Strait undersea tunnel cannot be compared to the English Channel Tunnel, as its length is several times that of the latter." The Bering Strait is also relatively deep, so the tunnel's structural integrity is crucial. Moreover, building in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug would have to start from scratch. Russia is considering building an Arctic Strait railway tunnel.
Not long ago, the total cost of the project was estimated at $150 billion, seven times that of the English Channel Tunnel. Infrastructure in the US is also underdeveloped. For example, Alaska has only one railway, and it mainly transports tourists. So there are many reasons to doubt the Chinese project.
The Chinese side, however, says that the technical challenges related to construction have been solved and will soon be tested in the construction of an undersea tunnel in the Taiwan Strait.
The Bering Strait is not the only difficult section of this massive Chinese project. The route would cross Magadan Oblast, Kamchatka Krai, and Chukotka Autonomous Okrug in Russia—all questionable sections. Building a railway in these places is no easy task: annual temperature differences reach 100 degrees, the terrain is extremely complex, and the biggest headache is permafrost.
It should be noted that China has undertaken similar projects: the Qinghai-Tibet Railway has over 500 kilometers of permafrost sections. Building the railway there cost $4 billion and took five years. In summer, the permafrost melts into mud, and liquid nitrogen pipes need to be inserted into the roadbed to prevent thawing. Trains on this section do not exceed 100 km/h, far lower than the China-Russia-Canada-US high-speed rail.
Of course, the main question is: Can this railway bring economic benefits? Who would spend two days on a train from Beijing to San Francisco? Who would be willing to transport goods through virgin forests and permafrost if there are enough sea routes? How much would a transcontinental railway cost?
Maslennikov explained: "Such a project would require trillions of dollars, not millions or tens of billions, but trillions. Even all of China's foreign exchange reserves might not be enough. However, despite my doubts, China has the possibility to realize its 'dream'."
Don't forget that the high-speed rail would cross several countries. It is still unclear how it would operate and who would be its operator. If the countries along the route cannot reach an agreement, further cooperation would be impossible.