Helsinki to Tallinn Tunnel
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The Helsinki to Tallinn Tunnel is a proposed undersea tunnel that would connect the Finnish and Estonian capitals[1]. The tunnel's length would be around 80 kilometres (50 mi) making it the longest undersea tunnel in the world. The project is largely being pushed forward by the Mayors of Tallinn and Helsinki, Edgar Savisaar and Jussi Pajunen respectively. Both cities have promised €100,000 for preparatory studies, though the relevant ministries of each county have refused to grant any funding. An approach is now planned to the EU to gain the additional funds needed for a comprehensive survey, estimated to cost between €500,000 to €800,000[2]. The initial costs of the tunnel itself would be high, many billions of Euro, though the economic benefits would be significant, both in terms of increased connections and economic integration between the two cities (Copenhagen and Malmö have been offered as examples), but also in a wider context of convenient passenger train connections between southern Finland and the Baltic States, and a fixed link for freight from across Finland on to the under construction Rail Baltica, thus provided a rail freight connection with the rest of Europe.
