In a few years, Germans and Danes will be able to travel between their countries in just 7 minutes, thanks to a new underwater train tunnel.
According to euronews on Thursday (June 20, 2024), construction on this ambitious project officially began when Denmark’s King Frederik X inaugurated the first section of the tunnel on June 17, 2024. The tunnel, which will span 18 km under the Baltic Sea, will be named the Fehmarnbelt Link.
The Fehmarnbelt Link is expected to open in 2029. Once complete, it will reduce the current 45-minute ferry crossing time to just seven minutes by train.
This tunnel will connect Roedby in Denmark to Puttgarden in Germany, providing further road and rail links to Central Europe and the Nordic countries.
The inauguration involved King Frederik. This initial section will eventually lead to an underwater trench on the Danish side later this year.
Sund & Baelt, the company responsible for building the Fehmarnbelt Link, claims it will be the world’s longest underwater tunnel. It will feature electric train tracks and four lanes for cars, allowing vehicles to cross the Baltic Sea in 10 minutes and trains in just seven minutes.
The Fehmarnbelt Link will cost 4.8 billion euros, funded by Danish users. The Danish government will set the toll rates for the tunnel at a later stage.
In recent years, Denmark has also been busy building road and rail links to its neighbor Sweden, as well as projects connecting two major Danish islands.