Seikan Tunnel青函トンネルalternative words: Sekan tunnel, Seikan railroad tunnel, Sekan tonneru, Seikan tonneru, Seikan, Sekan keywords: hokkaido , tohoku , tunnel related topics: Setoohashi Bridge , Tsugaru strait , Shinkansen related web sites: http://www.pref.aomori.jp/newline/sin-08.html , http://www.hda.go.jp/contents/chou/kaihatsu/sinkan/sinkan.htm , http://www.hakodate.or.jp/JR/default.htm explanation: The world longest tunnel, linking Honshu and Hokkaido via Tsugaru strait by a railroad. The total length is 53.8 km while the maritime part is 23.3 km long. Its construction began in November 1971 and finished in March 1988. In April of the same year, Setoohashi Bridge has been opened so all the 4 major Japanese islands have been directly connected by railways. Though the tunnel has been built to let pass high speed trains, Shinkansen, this possibility has not yet been exploited. | |