Seikan Tunnel
Encyclopedia
The Seikan Tunnel is a 53.85 kilometres (33.5 mi) railway tunnel
in Japan, with a 23.3 kilometres (14.5 mi) long portion under the seabed. Track level is about 140 metres (459.3 ft) below seabed and 240 m (787.4 ft) below sea level. It travels beneath the Tsugaru Strait
—connecting Aomori Prefecture
on the Japanese island of Honshu
and the island of Hokkaido
—as part of the Kaikyo Line
of Hokkaido Railway Company
. The name Seikan comes from combining the on'yomi readings of the first characters of and , the nearest major city on the Hokkaido side.
Seikan is both the longest and the deepest operational rail tunnel in the world, although the Gotthard Base Tunnel
in Switzerland will be longer when it opens to traffic in 2016. It is also the longest undersea tunnel in the world, although the Channel Tunnel
between the United Kingdom and France has a longer undersea portion.
and Hokkaido
by a fixed link had been considered since the Taishō period
(1912–1925), but serious surveying commenced only in 1946, induced by the loss of overseas territory at the end of World War II and the need to accommodate returnees. In 1954, five ferries, including the Toya Maru
, sank in the Tsugaru Strait during a typhoon, killing 1,430 passengers. The following year, Japanese National Railways (JNR)
expedited the tunnel investigation.
Also of concern was the increasing traffic between the two islands. A booming economy saw traffic levels on the JNR-operated Seikan (a contraction of principal cities Aomori
and Hakodate
) Ferry doubled to 4,040,000 persons/year from 1955 to 1965, and cargo levels rose 1.7 times to 6,240,000 tonnes/year. In 1971, traffic forecasts predicted increasing growth that would outstrip the ability of the ferry pier facility, which was constrained by geographical conditions. In September 1971, the decision was made to commence work on the tunnel. A Shinkansen
-capable cross section was selected, with plans to extend the Shinkansen network.
Arduous construction in difficult geological conditions proceeded. 34 workers were killed during construction.
On 27 January 1983, Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone
pressed a switch that set off a blast that completed the pilot tunnel. Similarly on 10 March 1985, Minister of Transport Tokuo Yamashita symbolically holed through the main tunnel.
The project's success was questioned at the time, with the 1971 traffic predictions being overestimates. Instead of the traffic rate increasing as predicted to a peak in 1985, it peaked earlier in 1978 and then proceeded to decrease. The decrease was attributed to the slowdown in Japan's economy since the first oil crisis in 1973 and to advances made in air transport facilities and longer-range sea transport.
The tunnel was opened on 13 March 1988, having cost a total of ¥
538.4 billion (US$3.6 billion) to construct.
Once the tunnel was completed, all railway transport between Honshu and Hokkaido used the tunnel. However, for passenger transport, 90% of people use air due to the speed and cost. For example, to travel between Tokyo
and Sapporo by train takes more than ten hours and thirty minutes, with several transfers. By air, the journey is three hours and thirty minutes, including airport access times. Deregulation and competition in Japanese domestic air travel has brought down prices on the Tokyo-Sapporo route, making rail more expensive in comparison.
The Hokutosei
overnight train service, which began service after the completion of the Seikan Tunnel, is still popular among travellers. The newer and more luxurious Cassiopeia
overnight train service is frequently fully booked.
Shinkansen
trains currently do not run through the tunnel, although the Seikan Tunnel was built to accommodate Shinkansen trains. The JR East company decided to extend the Tohoku Shinkansen
to Shin-Aomori Station
; the extension itself having opened on December 4, 2010 and then to interchange to the future Hokkaido Shinkansen
line. From Shin-Aomori, the Hokkaido Shinkansen would continue on to Shin-Hakodate Station in Hakodate by 2015 and then eventually to Sapporo Station
. The future Hokkaido Shinkansen would be operated by JR Hokkaido.
Surveying started in 1946 and in 1971, twenty-five years later, construction began. By August 1982, less than 700 metres of the tunnel remained to be excavated. First contact between the two sides was in 1983.
The Tsugaru Strait
has eastern and western necks, both approximately 20 kilometres across. Initial surveys undertaken in 1946 indicated that the eastern neck was up to 200 metres deep with volcanic geology. The western neck had a maximum depth of 140 metres and geology consisting mostly of sedimentary rocks of the Neogene period. The western neck was selected, with its conditions considered favourable for tunnelling.
Geology of the undersea portion of the tunnel consists of volcanic rock, pyroclastic rock
, and sedimentary rock of the late Tertiary
era. The area is folded into a nearly vertical anticline
, which means that the youngest rock is in the centre of the Strait, and encountered last. Divided roughly into thirds, the Honshū side consists of volcanic rocks (andesite, basalt etc); the Hokkaido side consists of sedimentary rocks (Tertiary period tuff
, mudstone
, etc); and the centre portion consists of Kuromatsunai strata
(Tertiary period sand-like mudstone). Igneous intrusions and faults caused crushing of the rock and complicated the tunnelling procedures.
Initial geological investigation occurred from 1946–1963, which involved drilling the sea-bed, sonic surveys
, submarine boring, observations using a mini-submarine, and seismic and magnetic surveys. To establish a greater understanding, a horizontal pilot boring was undertaken along the line of both the service and pilot tunnels.
Tunnelling occurred simultaneously from both the northern and southern ends. The dry land portions were tackled with traditional mountain tunnelling techniques, with a single main tunnel. However, for the 23.3-kilometre undersea portion, three bores were excavated with increasing diameters respectively: an initial pilot tunnel, a service tunnel, and finally the main tunnel. The service tunnel was periodically connected to the main tunnel with a series of connecting shafts, at 600- to 1,000-metre intervals. The pilot tunnel serves as the service tunnel for the central five-kilometre portion.
Beneath the Tsugaru Strait, the use of a tunnel boring machine
(TBM) was abandoned after less than two kilometres owing to the variable nature of the rock and difficulty in accessing the face for advanced grouting. Blasting with dynamite and mechanical picking were then used to excavate.
Originally, only narrow gauge track was laid through the tunnel, but in 2005 the Hokkaido Shinkansen
project started construction has included laying dual-gauge
track and linking the tunnel into the Shinkansen
network. Shinkansen trains will be able to traverse the tunnel to Hakodate from 2015 and eventually Sapporo. The tunnel has 52 kilometres of continuous welded rail. Two stations are located within the tunnel itself: Tappi-Kaitei Station
and Yoshioka-Kaitei Station
. The stations serve as emergency escape points. In the event of a fire or other disaster, both stations provide the equivalent safety of a much shorter tunnel. The effectiveness of the escape shafts located at the emergency stations is enhanced by having exhaust fans to extract smoke, television cameras to help route passengers to safety, thermal (infrared) fire alarm systems, and water spray nozzles.
Previously, both stations contained museums detailing the history and function of the tunnel that could be visited on special sightseeing tours. Only Tappi-Kaitei remains as a museum, the museum function at Yoshioka-Kaitei closing on 16 March 2006 to provide a storage room for work on the upgrades related to the Hokkaido Shinkansen service.
The two stations were the first railway stations in the world built under the sea.
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
in Japan, with a 23.3 kilometres (14.5 mi) long portion under the seabed. Track level is about 140 metres (459.3 ft) below seabed and 240 m (787.4 ft) below sea level. It travels beneath the Tsugaru Strait
Tsugaru Strait
is a channel between Honshu and Hokkaido in northern Japan connecting the Sea of Japan with the Pacific Ocean. It was named after the western part of Aomori Prefecture...
—connecting Aomori Prefecture
Aomori Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku Region. The capital is the city of Aomori.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Aomori prefecture was known as Mutsu Province....
on the Japanese island of Honshu
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
and the island of Hokkaido
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
—as part of the Kaikyo Line
Kaikyo Line
is an 87.8-kilometre railway line operated mainly by the Hokkaido Railway Company. The line runs from Naka-Oguni Station in Sotogahama, Aomori, through the Seikan Tunnel between Honshū and Hokkaidō, and on to Kikonai Station in Kikonai, Hokkaidō...
of Hokkaido Railway Company
Hokkaido Railway Company
The is one of the constituent companies of Japan Railways Group , and thus often known as . It operates intercity rail services in Hokkaido, Japan. The company introduced Kitaca, a smart card ticketing system, from autumn 2008....
. The name Seikan comes from combining the on'yomi readings of the first characters of and , the nearest major city on the Hokkaido side.
Seikan is both the longest and the deepest operational rail tunnel in the world, although the Gotthard Base Tunnel
Gotthard Base Tunnel
The Gotthard Base Tunnel is a new railway tunnel beneath the Swiss Alps, expected to open in 2016. With a route length of and a total of of tunnels, shafts and passages, it is the world's longest rail tunnel, surpassing the Japanese Seikan Tunnel....
in Switzerland will be longer when it opens to traffic in 2016. It is also the longest undersea tunnel in the world, although the Channel Tunnel
Channel Tunnel
The Channel Tunnel is a undersea rail tunnel linking Folkestone, Kent in the United Kingdom with Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais near Calais in northern France beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover. At its lowest point, it is deep...
between the United Kingdom and France has a longer undersea portion.
History
Connecting the islands of HonshuHonshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
and Hokkaido
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
by a fixed link had been considered since the Taishō period
Taisho period
The , or Taishō era, is a period in the history of Japan dating from July 30, 1912 to December 25, 1926, coinciding with the reign of the Taishō Emperor. The health of the new emperor was weak, which prompted the shift in political power from the old oligarchic group of elder statesmen to the Diet...
(1912–1925), but serious surveying commenced only in 1946, induced by the loss of overseas territory at the end of World War II and the need to accommodate returnees. In 1954, five ferries, including the Toya Maru
Toya Maru
The was a Japanese train ferry constructed by the Japanese National Railways which sank during a typhoon in the Tsugaru Strait between the Japanese islands of Hokkaidō and Honshū on September 26, 1954. It is said that 1,153 people aboard were killed in the accident...
, sank in the Tsugaru Strait during a typhoon, killing 1,430 passengers. The following year, Japanese National Railways (JNR)
Japanese National Railways
, abbreviated or "JNR", was the national railway network of Japan from 1949 to 1987.-History:The term Kokuyū Tetsudō "state-owned railway" originally referred to a network of railway lines operated by nationalized companies under the control of the Railway Institute following the nationalization...
expedited the tunnel investigation.
| Timeline | |
|---|---|
| 1946-04-24 | Geological surveying begun |
| 1954-09-26 | Train ferry Toya Maru Toya Maru The was a Japanese train ferry constructed by the Japanese National Railways which sank during a typhoon in the Tsugaru Strait between the Japanese islands of Hokkaidō and Honshū on September 26, 1954. It is said that 1,153 people aboard were killed in the accident... sank in the Tsugaru Strait |
| 1964-03-23 | Japan Railway Construction Public Corporation established |
| 1971-09-28 | Main tunnel construction begun |
| 1983-01-27 | Pilot tunnel breakthrough |
| 1985-03-10 | Main tunnel breakthrough |
| 1988-03-13 | Tunnel opened |
Also of concern was the increasing traffic between the two islands. A booming economy saw traffic levels on the JNR-operated Seikan (a contraction of principal cities Aomori
Aomori, Aomori
is the capital city of Aomori Prefecture, in the northern Tōhoku region of Japan. As of 2009, the city had an estimated population of 302,068 and a density of 366 persons per km². Its total area was 824.52 km².- History :...
and Hakodate
Hakodate, Hokkaido
is a city and port located in Oshima Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital city of Oshima Subprefecture.Hakodate was Japan's first city whose port was opened to foreign trade in 1854 as a result of Convention of Kanagawa, and used to be the most important port in northern Japan...
) Ferry doubled to 4,040,000 persons/year from 1955 to 1965, and cargo levels rose 1.7 times to 6,240,000 tonnes/year. In 1971, traffic forecasts predicted increasing growth that would outstrip the ability of the ferry pier facility, which was constrained by geographical conditions. In September 1971, the decision was made to commence work on the tunnel. A Shinkansen
Shinkansen
The , also known as THE BULLET TRAIN, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies. Starting with the Tōkaidō Shinkansen in 1964, the network has expanded to currently consist of of lines with maximum speeds of , of Mini-shinkansen with a...
-capable cross section was selected, with plans to extend the Shinkansen network.
Arduous construction in difficult geological conditions proceeded. 34 workers were killed during construction.
On 27 January 1983, Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone
Yasuhiro Nakasone
is a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from November 27, 1982 to November 6, 1987. A contemporary of Brian Mulroney, Ronald Reagan, Helmut Kohl, François Mitterrand, Margaret Thatcher, and Mikhail Gorbachev, he is best known for pushing through the privatization of...
pressed a switch that set off a blast that completed the pilot tunnel. Similarly on 10 March 1985, Minister of Transport Tokuo Yamashita symbolically holed through the main tunnel.
The project's success was questioned at the time, with the 1971 traffic predictions being overestimates. Instead of the traffic rate increasing as predicted to a peak in 1985, it peaked earlier in 1978 and then proceeded to decrease. The decrease was attributed to the slowdown in Japan's economy since the first oil crisis in 1973 and to advances made in air transport facilities and longer-range sea transport.
Japanese yen
The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound sterling...
538.4 billion (US$3.6 billion) to construct.
Once the tunnel was completed, all railway transport between Honshu and Hokkaido used the tunnel. However, for passenger transport, 90% of people use air due to the speed and cost. For example, to travel between Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
and Sapporo by train takes more than ten hours and thirty minutes, with several transfers. By air, the journey is three hours and thirty minutes, including airport access times. Deregulation and competition in Japanese domestic air travel has brought down prices on the Tokyo-Sapporo route, making rail more expensive in comparison.
The Hokutosei
Hokutosei
The is a limited express sleeping car train service in Japan which connects Ueno Station in Tokyo and Sapporo Station in the northern island of Hokkaido, taking approximately 16½ hours...
overnight train service, which began service after the completion of the Seikan Tunnel, is still popular among travellers. The newer and more luxurious Cassiopeia
Cassiopeia (train)
The is a luxury overnight limited express train service in Japan operated by East Japan Railway Company . It runs between Ueno Station in Tokyo and the city of Sapporo in the northern island of Hokkaido. The one-way journey lasts approximately 16½ hours.Going from Ueno to Sapporo, trains call...
overnight train service is frequently fully booked.
Shinkansen
Shinkansen
The , also known as THE BULLET TRAIN, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies. Starting with the Tōkaidō Shinkansen in 1964, the network has expanded to currently consist of of lines with maximum speeds of , of Mini-shinkansen with a...
trains currently do not run through the tunnel, although the Seikan Tunnel was built to accommodate Shinkansen trains. The JR East company decided to extend the Tohoku Shinkansen
Tohoku Shinkansen
The is a Japanese high-speed Shinkansen rail line, connecting Tokyo with Aomori in Aomori Prefecture for a total length of 674 km, Japan's longest Shinkansen line. It runs through the more sparsely populated Tōhoku region of Japan's main island Honshu. It has two spur lines, Yamagata...
to Shin-Aomori Station
Shin-Aomori Station
is a railway station on the East Japan Railway Company northern Ōu Main Line located in the city of Aomori, Aomori Prefecture, Japan. It is 480.6 rail kilometers from the southern terminus of the Ōu Main Line at Fukushima Station...
; the extension itself having opened on December 4, 2010 and then to interchange to the future Hokkaido Shinkansen
Hokkaido Shinkansen
The is a high-speed rail line currently under construction between Aomori and Hokkaido through the Seikan Tunnel. Construction started in May 2005, and the initial Shin-Aomori to Shin-Hakodate section is projected to open in 2015. There are long-term plans to extend the line to Sapporo...
line. From Shin-Aomori, the Hokkaido Shinkansen would continue on to Shin-Hakodate Station in Hakodate by 2015 and then eventually to Sapporo Station
Sapporo Station
is a train station located in Kita-ku and Chūō-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is served by Hakodate Main Line and other lines of Hokkaido Railway Company , and is also connected to the Sapporo Subway. The JR Hokkaido part is in Kita-ku while the Sapporo Subway part is in Chūō-ku.Sapporo Station...
. The future Hokkaido Shinkansen would be operated by JR Hokkaido.
Surveying, construction and geology
| Tsugaru Strait traffic data | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Passengers (persons/yr) | Freight (T/yr) | Mode |
| 1955 | 2,020,000 | 3,700,000 | Seikan Ferry |
| 1965 | 4,040,000 | 6,240,000 | Seikan Ferry |
| 1970 | 9,360,000 | 8,470,000 | Seikan Ferry |
| 1985 | 9,000,000This may be a typographical error in the source | 17,000,000 | 1971 Forecast |
| 1988 | ~3,100,000 | — | Seikan Tunnel |
| 1999 | ~1,700,000 | — | Seikan Tunnel |
| 2001 | — | >5,000,000 | Seikan Tunnel |
| † | |||
The Tsugaru Strait
Tsugaru Strait
is a channel between Honshu and Hokkaido in northern Japan connecting the Sea of Japan with the Pacific Ocean. It was named after the western part of Aomori Prefecture...
has eastern and western necks, both approximately 20 kilometres across. Initial surveys undertaken in 1946 indicated that the eastern neck was up to 200 metres deep with volcanic geology. The western neck had a maximum depth of 140 metres and geology consisting mostly of sedimentary rocks of the Neogene period. The western neck was selected, with its conditions considered favourable for tunnelling.
Geology of the undersea portion of the tunnel consists of volcanic rock, pyroclastic rock
Pyroclastic rock
Pyroclastic rocks or pyroclastics are clastic rocks composed solely or primarily of volcanic materials. Where the volcanic material has been transported and reworked through mechanical action, such as by wind or water, these rocks are termed volcaniclastic...
, and sedimentary rock of the late Tertiary
Tertiary
The Tertiary is a deprecated term for a geologic period 65 million to 2.6 million years ago. The Tertiary covered the time span between the superseded Secondary period and the Quaternary...
era. The area is folded into a nearly vertical anticline
Anticline
In structural geology, an anticline is a fold that is convex up and has its oldest beds at its core. The term is not to be confused with antiform, which is a purely descriptive term for any fold that is convex up. Therefore if age relationships In structural geology, an anticline is a fold that is...
, which means that the youngest rock is in the centre of the Strait, and encountered last. Divided roughly into thirds, the Honshū side consists of volcanic rocks (andesite, basalt etc); the Hokkaido side consists of sedimentary rocks (Tertiary period tuff
Tuff
Tuff is a type of rock consisting of consolidated volcanic ash ejected from vents during a volcanic eruption. Tuff is sometimes called tufa, particularly when used as construction material, although tufa also refers to a quite different rock. Rock that contains greater than 50% tuff is considered...
, mudstone
Mudstone
Mudstone is a fine grained sedimentary rock whose original constituents were clays or muds. Grain size is up to 0.0625 mm with individual grains too small to be distinguished without a microscope. With increased pressure over time the platey clay minerals may become aligned, with the...
, etc); and the centre portion consists of Kuromatsunai strata
Stratum
In geology and related fields, a stratum is a layer of sedimentary rock or soil with internally consistent characteristics that distinguish it from other layers...
(Tertiary period sand-like mudstone). Igneous intrusions and faults caused crushing of the rock and complicated the tunnelling procedures.
Initial geological investigation occurred from 1946–1963, which involved drilling the sea-bed, sonic surveys
Echo sounding
Echo sounding is the technique of using sound pulses directed from the surface or from a submarine vertically down to measure the distance to the bottom by means of sound waves. This information is then typically used for navigation purposes or in order to obtain depths for charting purposes...
, submarine boring, observations using a mini-submarine, and seismic and magnetic surveys. To establish a greater understanding, a horizontal pilot boring was undertaken along the line of both the service and pilot tunnels.
Tunnelling occurred simultaneously from both the northern and southern ends. The dry land portions were tackled with traditional mountain tunnelling techniques, with a single main tunnel. However, for the 23.3-kilometre undersea portion, three bores were excavated with increasing diameters respectively: an initial pilot tunnel, a service tunnel, and finally the main tunnel. The service tunnel was periodically connected to the main tunnel with a series of connecting shafts, at 600- to 1,000-metre intervals. The pilot tunnel serves as the service tunnel for the central five-kilometre portion.
Beneath the Tsugaru Strait, the use of a tunnel boring machine
Tunnel boring machine
A tunnel boring machine also known as a "mole", is a machine used to excavate tunnels with a circular cross section through a variety of soil and rock strata. They can bore through anything from hard rock to sand. Tunnel diameters can range from a metre to almost 16 metres to date...
(TBM) was abandoned after less than two kilometres owing to the variable nature of the rock and difficulty in accessing the face for advanced grouting. Blasting with dynamite and mechanical picking were then used to excavate.
Maintenance
A 2002 report by Michitsugu Ikuma described, for the undersea section, that "the tunnel structure appears to remain in a good condition". The amount of inflow has been decreasing with time, although it "increases right after a large earthquake".Structure
Hokkaido Shinkansen
The is a high-speed rail line currently under construction between Aomori and Hokkaido through the Seikan Tunnel. Construction started in May 2005, and the initial Shin-Aomori to Shin-Hakodate section is projected to open in 2015. There are long-term plans to extend the line to Sapporo...
project started construction has included laying dual-gauge
Dual gauge
A dual-gauge or mixed-gauge railway has railway track that allows trains of different gauges to use the same track. Generally, a dual-gauge railway consists of three rails, rather than the standard two rails. The two outer rails give the wider gauge, while one of the outer rails and the inner rail...
track and linking the tunnel into the Shinkansen
Shinkansen
The , also known as THE BULLET TRAIN, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies. Starting with the Tōkaidō Shinkansen in 1964, the network has expanded to currently consist of of lines with maximum speeds of , of Mini-shinkansen with a...
network. Shinkansen trains will be able to traverse the tunnel to Hakodate from 2015 and eventually Sapporo. The tunnel has 52 kilometres of continuous welded rail. Two stations are located within the tunnel itself: Tappi-Kaitei Station
Tappi-Kaitei Station
is a railway station in the Seikan Tunnel on the JR Hokkaido’s Kaikyo Line, under the Tsugaru Strait. It is in the town of Sotogahama, Aomori Prefecture, Japan. It is 32.5 kilometers from the Naka-Oguni Signal.-History:...
and Yoshioka-Kaitei Station
Yoshioka-Kaitei Station
is a train station within the Seikan Tunnel on the Kaikyo Line in Fukushima, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is operated by Hokkaido Railway Company. The station is located 149.5 metres below sea level, making it the deepest underground station in the world....
. The stations serve as emergency escape points. In the event of a fire or other disaster, both stations provide the equivalent safety of a much shorter tunnel. The effectiveness of the escape shafts located at the emergency stations is enhanced by having exhaust fans to extract smoke, television cameras to help route passengers to safety, thermal (infrared) fire alarm systems, and water spray nozzles.
Previously, both stations contained museums detailing the history and function of the tunnel that could be visited on special sightseeing tours. Only Tappi-Kaitei remains as a museum, the museum function at Yoshioka-Kaitei closing on 16 March 2006 to provide a storage room for work on the upgrades related to the Hokkaido Shinkansen service.
The two stations were the first railway stations in the world built under the sea.
See also
- Channel TunnelChannel TunnelThe Channel Tunnel is a undersea rail tunnel linking Folkestone, Kent in the United Kingdom with Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais near Calais in northern France beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover. At its lowest point, it is deep...
, an undersea railway tunnel connecting Great BritainGreat BritainGreat Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. - Seikan Tunnel Tappi Shako LineSeikan Tunnel Tappi Shako LineThe is a Japanese funicular line in Sotogahama, Aomori, operated by Seikan Tunnel Museum. The line descends from the museum near into an underground station on the Seikan Tunnel, the longest railway tunnel in the world...
- Train on TrainTrain on Trainis the name given to the concept being developed by Hokkaido Railway Company in Japan as a means of transporting freight at higher speeds through the undersea Seikan Tunnel when Hokkaido Shinkansen high-speed passenger services through the tunnel commence in 2015.-Overview:When the Hokkaido...
, an experimental concept for conveying freight at higher speeds through the tunnel - Bering Strait crossing
External links
- The Seikan Tunnel, Aomori Prefecture Government, version of 3 May 2006 at the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...