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Is it scientifically feasible to build a train track to connect the world 01/31/26(Sat)16:08:20 No.16902552
Is it scientifically feasible to build a train track to connect the world 01/31/26(Sat)16:08:20 No.16902552
Is it scientifically feasible to build a train track to connect the world Anonymous 01/31/26(Sat)16:08:20 No.16902552 [Reply]▶
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How expensive would it be to connect the entire world with a train track?
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>>16902552
>scientifically feasible
>over icesheets that rise, shift, and melt
>if made of metal theyll crumple
>if made floating theyll split apart
Individual hovercarts, a floating barge if you will, may be of more feasibility.
Aero-carriages are the future!
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>>16902552
North and South America over the Darién Gap would be the easiest connection to make.
Africa to Asia through the Middle East would be a simple engineering feat but a difficult one politically. Africa to Europe would be basically the Chunnel all over again but the economic and political need isn't there.
The Bering Strait connection between North America and Asia has been studied. It has many difficult engineering challenges but would be doable. There's simply no economic case for it as it's not just the bridge that's the issue but lack of rail network connectivity on both sides. There's a strong economic case for connecting the two but it's already handled very well through ocean shipping.
Asia and Europe are already connected.
Australia to Asia, with some other islands as part of the connection, is impossible for both engineering and economic reasons.
Of these, if the geopolitical situation remains on the current path, a connection across the Darién Gap, seems the most likely. The terrain is challenging but far from unique. The political situation is messy but only because there's no good reason to solve it now. If the Americas become more economically and politically integrated, the connection could make sense economically.
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>>16902615
The rule of thumb is that ocean shipping is ten times as efficient per kg-km as rail shipping which is ten times as efficient as over-road shipping which is ten times as efficient as air shipping. Each comes with it's own set of time constraints and mode transfer costs. Every mode transfer costs time and energy, so ocean shipping, the most efficient form of shipping, isn't viable for places not next to a seaport. Bulk cargo is broken down at seaports and continues on with rail or road. Staying on rail most of the way can be better than ocean shipping if a mode transfer (or two mode transfers) can be avoided. But rail also doesn't go everywhere, so ocean-to-truck can beat out rail, depending on the specifics.
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>>16902892
No. Please stop your train autism until you've done further research. This is /sci/ not /n/. We work using facts, not feelings.
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