From creating a vast complex of dozens of artificial palm-shaped islands to high-speed underwater trains, the architectural and engineering ambitions of the United Arab Emirates are unparalleled anywhere in the world, as evidenced by their latest major project: linking the Emirati city of Fujairah with Mumbai, India.
Between the two locations, separated by approximately 1,800 kilometers as the crow flies, lies the Gulf of Oman and a large part of the Arabian Sea, which is part of the Indian Ocean. The UAE's National Advisor Bureau Limited has begun studies for the project and, according to the company, will soon request a feasibility report to determine its viability.
The plan first came to light in 2018 when a computer model was published and the idea was put forward. “This is a concept,” said Abdullah Alshehni, the Bureau’s director and chief consultant, that year. “We plan to connect the Indian city of Mumbai with Fujairah via ultra-fast floating trains.
The project is now taking on a new dimension because Dubai, as the financial hub of the Emirates, wants to promote the project, while Saudi Arabia—known for its plans to build the vertical city The Line—doesn't intend to lag behind in infrastructure. " Oil will be exported to India from the port of Fujairah, and excess water will be imported from the Narmada River, north of Mumbai," Alshehni stated.
Underwater train
The total length, according to Business Today, will be less than 2,000 kilometers, with almost all of it submerged. With an estimated total cost that has not yet been revealed—but is sure to be in the billions—the concept does not aim to build the railway on the seabed, but rather to have the tunnel submerged in a state of constant equilibrium of forces.
To achieve this, according to a video published in 2018, they have proposed flotation systems placed at regular intervals along the entire route. From there, a vertical column—already submerged—will serve to keep each section of the tunnel properly submerged. To add further complexity to the project, they are considering constructing some parts of the tunnel with transparent material to entertain passengers during their underwater journey.
Adding to the complexity of constructing the infrastructure is the requirement for the bullet train to have a maximum speed of 1,000 kilometers per hour. Currently, there is not a single train in the world that achieves such a speed, and considering friction, it will be virtually impossible.
Magnetic levitation trains like the one already operating in Shanghai, China, reach a top speed of 500 kilometers per hour, and tests on the Japanese counterpart achieved a maximum speed of 603 km/h . Details about the type of train that will be used for the journey have not been revealed, leaving only the possibility that it will be carried out with some type of magnetic levitation technology currently unknown or employed by Huperlopp.
"The floating underwater tunnel could consist of two curved concrete tubes submerged beneath the surface of the Arabian Sea," they indicate. These tubes would be stabilized "by attaching them to pontoons on the sea surface or by tying them to the seabed.".
Roads and hotels
In the same 2018 presentation, the project's proponents envisioned going a step further than just the tunnel. "Future expansion could include the One Belt One Road initiative, linking the China-Pakistan economic corridor at the port of Gwadar with the United Arab Emirates via the port of Fujairah," they explained. The One Belt One Road is China's ambitious project to establish a global network of land and sea transport, similar to the Silk Road.
“The future plan may also include the construction of a road inside the floating tunnel for transporting cars and trucks,” they continued. The idea also envisions building a floating hotel, shopping centers, and fuel stations in the middle of the Arabian Sea “where passengers can rest and shop.”
The journey will take approximately two hours if the project is successfully completed and the previously stipulated speeds are achieved. However, these two challenges will not be the only ones, given that the construction system for the floating tunnel requires platforms that extend above the surface in one of the world's most important oil tanker traffic hubs. But they have also taken that into account.
“Sufficient space can be provided between the pontoons to allow ships to pass,” they continue. “The tubes would be placed underwater at a sufficient depth to avoid water traffic and inclement weather.” They also indicate that the tunnel would be watertight and resistant to seawater, as well as the hydrostatic forces of the water column above it.
Source: https://www.elespanol.com/omicrono/.
