Elon Musk has hinted at yet another game-changing innovation—this time, it’s a revolutionary underground tunnel linking London to New York.
Discussions about a project related to a transatlantic tunnel linking New York and London have been going on for a while.
The project could take travelers from the British capital to the Big Apple in just about 54 minutes via a 3,400-mile tunnel.
Discussions about an underground tunnel linking London to New York have been going on for a while in recent times
The proposed idea was initially touted to cost a staggering $25 trillion, but no company has officially announced a plan for such a tunnel.
Nevertheless, Elon claims it could potentially be executed for a fraction of the price.
He claimed on X (formerly known as Twitter) that The Boring Company—an infrastructure and tunnel construction company founded by Elon himself—could do it for “1000X less money.”
Elon Musk expressed confidence in being able to take passengers from the British capital to the Big Apple in less than an hour
The tech mogul re-shared a tweet that said: “Proposed $20 Trillion tunnel would get you from New York to London in 54 minutes.”
He then attached the message, “The @boringcompany could do it for 1000X less money,” with his re-share.
Building a transatlantic tunnel between the U.S. and Britain would take years to complete and would dwarf the Channel Tunnel, which currently links England and France. It took six years to complete the 23.5-mile Channel Tunnel, and if a transatlantic tunnel is constructed at the same pace, the underwater marvel would take an astonishing 782 years, according to Newsweek.
Despite the buzz, no definitive design for a transatlantic tunnel exists. Concepts range from a submerged tunnel beneath the ocean floor to one perched on stilts—or even a floating tunnel anchored by cables to the seabed. Each idea comes with its own engineering challenges and hefty price tag.
While some believe a transatlantic tunnel would cost $25 trillion, the Tesla founder believes it can be done “for 1000X less money”
This ambitious claim follows the billionaire founder’s ongoing push to redefine global travel through SpaceX’s Starship rocket, a vehicle designed to transport passengers between any two cities on Earth in under an hour.
If this turns into a reality, passengers could travel from London to New York in just 30 minutes, from New York to Shanghai in 39 minutes, and from Zurich to Sydney in 50 minutes, SpaceX previously said.
Last month, when an X user spoke about Starship’s “Earth to Earth” travel, the Tesla founder said it’s very much possible for people to travel to major cities within an hour.
SpaceX’s Starship rocket could be employed in revolutionizing global travel by connecting major cities across the world
“Under Trump’s FAA, @SpaceX could even get Starship Earth to Earth approved in a few years — Taking people from any city to any other city on Earth in under one hour,” the user said.
“This is now possible,” Elon replied.
The tech titan has a history of making ambitious promises but not always delivering. In 2016, he announced that Tesla vehicles would achieve full self-driving capability by 2017. However, as of 2024, this goal has not been realized, with Tesla’s Autopilot still requiring driver supervision.
He predicted that autonomous robotaxis for Tesla would be a reality by 2020, but that dream of the billionaire also has not been realized yet.
Although plans for a transatlantic tunnel have not been confirmed, there is currently an underwater road and rail tunnel being built to link southern Denmark with northern Germany.
“@SpaceX could even get Starship Earth to Earth approved in a few years — Taking people from any city to any other city on Earth in under one hour,” a social media user said
Perhaps his most far-fetched predictions are those related to space. He said in the past that humans would be traveling to Mars by 2024.
“I’m hopeful that the first people could be taken to Mars in 10 to 12 years, I think it’s certainly possible for that to occur,” he told CNBC in a 2014 interview.
However, today, we still possibly remain a few more years away from putting humans on Mars.
The 11.1-mile-long Fehmarnbelt tunnel will descend over 130 feet beneath the Baltic Sea and is expected to slash travel times for commuters.
Elon has often made implausible predictions about technology and has not always delivered
Not only is it one of Europe’s largest infrastructure projects but the underwater road and rail tunnel will be the longest in the world once it opens in 2029.
Denise Juchem, a spokesperson from Femern A/S, the Danish company preparing the project, said the product will significantly reduce congestion on existing road and rail routes.
“For commuters, it means a faster and more reliable connection between Denmark and Germany, significantly reducing travel time and making daily commutes much more convenient,” Denise told Euronews.
With Starship’s “Earth to Earth” travel, passengers could travel from London to New York in just 30 minutes and from New York to Shanghai in 39 minutes
Image credits: SpaceX
“The Fehmarnbelt tunnel will revolutionize travel between Scandinavia and Central Europe by providing a faster, more reliable and direct connection,” they added.
The tunnel is also expected to reduce dependence on roads and switch to rail traveling.
“This shift is expected to reduce CO2 emissions substantially, as rail transport is more efficient and less polluting compared to road transport,” Denise told the outlet.
“Ultimately, the 18-kilometre immersed tunnel was deemed the best solution due to its lower environmental impact, reduced sensitivity to weather conditions, and cost-effectiveness,” they added.
“He says a lot of things that don’t happen,” said one social media user following Elon’s remark
