Russia proposing rail tunnel from Siberia to Alaska

At first look this looks like a promising idea: A rail tunnel across the Bering Strait to connect Alaska and Siberia. However, the far-eastern corner of Asian Russia and the western tip of Alaska are sparsely populated. And that railroad could be a road to nowhere, since the nearest railroad tracks on the Alaskan side are in Fairbanks, hundreds of miles to the east.

The Russians must be unfamiliar with our environmental lobby, who would never acquiesce to a new railway to be built across half of the state.

The Times of London has the full story.

But if it does happen, it will strengthen our hand in Siberia, as a demographically challenged Russia will have trouble maintaining and hanging on to the remotest parts of its sprawling nation in the upcoming decades.

Of course China is keeping a hungry eye on the mineral-rich Russian Far East.

Technorati tags: railroads Russia Росси́я Сиби́рь China 中國 中国 Alaska Siberia