The Friends of the Far North Line
Cairdean Na Loine Tuath
the campaign group for rail north of
Inverness - lobbying for improved services for the local user, tourist and freight
operator
The United Arab Emirates is giving serious thought to building an underwater rail tunnel, suspended from floating supports, and featuring transparent walls so that travellers can admire the views beneath the Arabian Sea.
The tunnel would connect Dubai with Mumbai, covering the nearly 1200 miles from the port city of Fujairah to the Indian coast.
High-speed trains would be designed to travel at between 400 and 600 mph, meaning the train journey would be quicker than flying.
Dr. Ahmed Al Hariri, who leads the UAE's National Advisor Bureau, commented, "This is not just about transport, but an immersive experience", although he surely didn't mean that in the sense that many potential travellers might fear!
Besides passengers, separate pipes would carry oil to India and water to the UAE.
This puts our need for a passing loop at Delmore into a different perspective - one has to wonder which will be completed first.