China likely to commence construction of world's biggest undersea rail tunnel in 2016

The design sketch of planned underwater high-speed railway in Bohai Strait. (Source: 21st Century Business Herald)

(ECNS) -- The construction of an underwater high-speed railway in Bohai Strait is likely to commence some time during the 13th Five Year Plan, which will run from 2016 to 2020, according to the Guangdong-based 21st Century Business Herald citing industry experts.

The planned high-speed railway will traverse Bohai Bay, connecting Dalian in the south of Liaoning province with the Shandong province city of Yantai, covering more than 100 km to become the world's longest undersea tunnel.

Wang Mengshu, an academic at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, revealed the project will cost 200 billion yuan ($32 billion) and take about 10 years.

"It will reduce travel time across Bohai Bay to a mere 40 minutes," Wang commented.

Several experts made the estimation based on a regional development guideline said to accelerate preliminary work on the trans-sea channel project in Bohai Strait.

China's State Council rolled out the guideline on Tuesday, proposing a list of new measures to further support the rejuvenation of three northeastern provinces, the traditional industrial base of the country.

Wang said the project has been assessed and has been proved technically feasible. "Its role can be compared to that of the maritime silk road."

To accelerate preliminary work means to explore and survey undersea routes, Wang said, adding that an underwater tunnel will be built.

The planned high speed railway will traverse Bohai Bay, connecting Dalian in the south of Liaoning province with the Shandong province city of Yantai. "It will reduce travel time across Bohai Bay to a mere 40 minutes," Wang commented.

At present, a ferry ride across the bay takes about eight hours, while travelling between the two cities by vehicle means covering 1,400 kilometres of coastal roads. 

Once complete, a coastal rail network in eastern China stretching from Harbin in Heilongjiang province to Shenzhen in Guangdong province will be formed, said Zhang Jiangyu from the comprehensive transportation institute of China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

A railway from China's Heilongjiang province to Russia and Mongolia will also be placed under consideration, according to the guideline.