Updated : Dec 16, 2024, 10:05 AM IST TRENDING NOW Amid divorce rumours of Aishwarya, Abhishek Bachchan, Amitabh reveals he gets 'nervous, anxious' when Jaya calls him A futuristic underwater tunnel connecting the UK and the US could revolutionise travel with trains reaching speeds of 3,000 mph. The idea of a "Transatlantic Tunnel," once a science fiction dream, may become a reality thanks to advances in technology. However, the price tag would be staggering—estimated at nearly £16 billion ($20 trillion), according to reports. The concept, first imagined decades ago, has gained fresh attention due to vacuum tube technology. Billionaire Elon Musk, a vocal supporter of the idea, has long championed the potential of hyperloop systems. In 2013, he proposed using capsules moving through vacuum tunnels to eliminate air resistance, allowing for unprecedented speeds. Currently, flights between London and New York take around eight hours. Conventional trains running underwater would not be fast enough to justify the immense costs of construction. With vacuum technology, however, trains could theoretically travel over 3,000 miles in just under an hour. Trials of hyperloop systems are already underway in India and China, with plans to integrate them into existing rail networks. Reports suggest that the technology would be faster, more efficient, and environmentally friendlier than air travel. Despite its potential, building such a tunnel would be a monumental task. Engineers have proposed various designs, including tunnels built on stilts, floating tubes anchored to the ocean floor, or tunnels buried beneath the seabed. Given that the Channel Tunnel between the UK and France took over six years to complete, a transatlantic version could take centuries. While the vision of connecting London and New York in an hour remains far off, rapid developments in hyperloop technology show the idea may not be entirely out of reach.