Seikan Tunnel
Map of the Seikan Tunnel
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| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Location | Beneath the Tsugaru Strait |
| Coordinates | 41°18′57″N 140°20′06″E / 41.3157°N 140.3351°ECoordinates: 41°18′57″N 140°20′06″E / 41.3157°N 140.3351°E |
| Status | Active |
| Start | Honshu |
| End | Hokkaido |
| Operation | |
| Opened | 13 March 1988 |
| Owner | Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency |
| Operator | JR Hokkaido |
| Technical | |
| Track length | 53.85 kilometres (33.46 mi) (23.3 kilometres (14.5 mi) undersea) |
| No. of tracks | double track rail tunnel |
| Track gauge | Mixed |
| Electrified | Yes |
| Operating speed | 140 km/h (85 mph) |
The Seikan Tunnel (Japanese: 青函トンネル Seikan Tonneru or Japanese: 青函隧道 Seikan Zuidō) is a 53.85 km (33.46 mi) dual gauge railway tunnel in Japan, with a 23.3 km (14.5 mi) long portion under the seabed. The track level is about 100 metres (330 ft) below the seabed and 240 m (790 ft) below sea level. It extends beneath the Tsugaru Strait—connecting Aomori Prefecture on the main Japanese island of Honshu with the northern island of Hokkaido—as part of the standard gauge Hokkaido Shinkansen and the narrow gauge Kaikyo Line portion of the Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido)'s Tsugaru-Kaikyō Line. The name Seikan comes from combining the on'yomi readings of the first characters of Aomori (青森?), the nearest major city on the Honshu side of the strait, and Hakodate (函館?), the nearest major city on the Hokkaido side.
The Seikan Tunnel is the world's longest undersea tunnel, although the Channel tunnel has a longer undersea section. It is also the second deepest and the second longest main-line railway tunnel after the Gotthard Base Tunnel in Switzerland opened in 2016.
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