Seikan Tunnel

The Seikan Tunnel (?????? Seikan Tonneru or ???? Seikan Zuidō) is currently the longest railway tunnel in the world, at 53.9 km (33.4 miles), and will be until the new Gotthard Base Tunnel (Switzerland) with 57 km (36 miles) is opened. The Seikan Tunnel is slightly longer than the Channel Tunnel and contains a 23.3 km (14.5 mile) portion under the seabed. It connects Aomori Prefecture on the Japanese island of Honshu and the island of Hokkaido, as part of the Japan Railway Kaikyo Line.

Related Topics:
Tunnel - Gotthard Base Tunnel - Switzerland - Channel Tunnel - Aomori Prefecture - Japan - Honshu - Hokkaido - Japan Railway - Kaikyo Line

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The tunnel was completed in 1988. The volcanic rock beneath the Tsugaru Strait was too unstable for boring, so engineers had to blast most of the tunnel out with dynamite.

Related Topics:
1988 - Tsugaru Strait - Dynamite

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Each of the twin tracks inside the tunnel is built allowing for three rails, so that both narrow-gauge and standard-gauge trains can be handled. Currently, only narrow-gauge trains use the tunnel, but there are long-term plans to lay dual-gauge track and link the tunnel into the Shinkansen network, although these are not expected to be completed until after 2020.

Related Topics:
Narrow-gauge - Standard-gauge - Shinkansen

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There are two passenger stations inside the tunnel (Yoshioka-Kaitei Station and Tappi-Kaitei Station), both of which are museums detailing the history and function of the tunnel.

Related Topics:
Yoshioka-Kaitei Station - Tappi-Kaitei Station

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The name takes its first kanji from Aomori (??) and the other from Hakodate (??), the major cities on the line through the tunnel.

Related Topics:
Kanji - Aomori - Hakodate

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