You can’t do it. Not today. If you walk into St. Pancras International in London and ask for a rail ticket to Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan, the clerk will probably think you’re joking or perhaps a bit lost.
The Atlantic Ocean is the problem. It’s big.
Technically, a train from London to New York is a feat of engineering that remains firmly in the realm of "maybe one day" and "wildly expensive fever dreams." To make it happen, you’d need to lay tracks across the entire Eurasian landmass, tunnel under the Bering Strait, and then weave through the Alaskan wilderness and the Canadian Rockies before finally hitting the US East Coast.
People have been obsessed with this for a century. It's the ultimate "what if" of global infrastructure.
Why a train from London to New York is the ultimate engineering hurdle
Let’s be real: we can fly across the pond in six or seven hours. Why would anyone want to spend two weeks on a train? For some, it’s about the carbon footprint. For others, it’s the sheer romance of seeing the world move past a window instead of staring at a seatback screen for 3,500 miles.
The logistics are a nightmare.
The primary route discussed by experts—often referred to as the TKM-World Link—would require a tunnel under the Bering Strait. We’re talking about a 64-mile gap between Russia and Alaska. That is double the length of the Channel Tunnel connecting the UK and France.
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It’s not just the tunnel, though. You have to consider the "missing links."
Right now, the Russian rail head ends in Yakutsk. To get to the coast, you’d need about 2,000 miles of new track through some of the most inhospitable, permafrost-laden terrain on the planet. On the American side, the rail infrastructure in Alaska isn’t even connected to the lower 48 states. You’d have to build through thousands of miles of Yukon territory.
The Gauge Problem
Even if you built the track, the trains wouldn't just glide through. Different countries use different track gauges.
The UK and most of Europe use Standard Gauge (1,435 mm). Russia uses a broader gauge (1,520 mm). North America goes back to Standard. You’d need "break-of-gauge" stations where the train's wheelsets are swapped out, or you’d need advanced variable-gauge axles like the ones used on the borders of Spain. It adds hours—even days—to the trip.
The Bering Strait Tunnel: The $100 Billion Question
The centerpiece of any train from London to New York project is the Bering Strait crossing.
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Vladimir Yakunin, the former head of Russian Railways, was a huge proponent of the "Trans-Eurasian Belt Development." His vision wasn't just a railway; it was a massive corridor for pipelines and fiber-optic cables.
- The Big Diomede and Little Diomede factor: These two islands sit right in the middle of the Bering Strait. A bridge or tunnel could potentially use them as a midway point, but the environmental conditions are brutal.
- Cost: Estimates for the tunnel alone hover around $60 billion to $100 billion.
- Geopolitics: This is the real deal-breaker. In the current global climate, the idea of Russia and the United States collaborating on a massive, interdependent piece of infrastructure is... unlikely. To put it mildly.
The theoretical route: What your itinerary would actually look like
If someone actually built this thing, you wouldn't just be sitting in one seat. It would be an odyssey.
First, you’d take the Eurostar from London to Paris or Brussels. From there, you’d head east through Berlin and Warsaw. Then you’d hit the "Big One": the Trans-Siberian Railway.
Traveling across Russia takes about six or seven days just to reach the eastern edges. Then comes the hypothetical new section—the 2,000 miles of track toward the Chukotka Peninsula. After the Bering Strait tunnel, you’d emerge in Wales, Alaska.
You aren't in New York yet.
You still have to get through the entire width of Canada. It’s a journey that would likely take 14 to 21 days. Honestly, by day ten, even the most hardcore train enthusiast might be eyeing a flight. But the views? Unmatched. You’d see the Ural Mountains, the Siberian Taiga, the Alaskan tundra, and the Great Plains.
Is there a "Climate Case" for this?
A lot of the buzz around a train from London to New York comes from the "flight shame" movement. Aviation is a massive carbon emitter.
High-speed rail is significantly greener. However, the carbon cost of building 8,000 miles of new track and a 64-mile underwater tunnel is astronomical. Concrete and steel production are carbon-heavy industries. You’d have to run the train for decades, maybe a century, to "pay back" the initial environmental debt of construction.
Practical alternatives for the modern traveler
Since you can't book a ticket for the full London to New York rail journey today, travelers usually look for the next best thing.
- The Cunard Queen Mary 2: If you want to avoid flying, this is the gold standard. It’s a seven-day crossing. It’s not a train, obviously, but it’s a linear, ground-level journey that feels much more like long-distance rail than a cruise ship.
- The Silk Road Routes: You can currently take a train from London to the edge of China or Southeast Asia. It’s a massive undertaking involving the Trans-Mongolian or Trans-Siberian routes.
- Freight via Rail: While passengers can't make the trip, cargo increasingly does move from China to Europe by rail (the "New Silk Road"). This proves that long-haul transcontinental rail is economically viable for goods, even if it's not yet ready for people crossing the Bering Strait.
The Verdict on the London to New York rail link
It’s a beautiful idea. It represents a world that is physically connected, where you could theoretically walk onto a platform in London and, two weeks later, see the skyline of Manhattan.
But it’s not happening anytime soon.
The combination of extreme Arctic weather, the sheer distance involved, and the current fractured state of international relations makes it a project for the 22nd century, not the 21st.
Actionable insights for your next big trip:
- Check the Trans-Siberian status: If you want the "vibe" of this trip, the Trans-Siberian is the closest you can get. Be aware that international sanctions and travel advisories currently make this route extremely difficult or impossible for Western travelers.
- Look into the North American "missing link": If you’re in the US or Canada, follow the progress of the A2A (Alaska-Alberta) Railway. This project aims to connect the Alaskan rail system to the rest of North America. If it ever gets built, we’re one step closer to the dream.
- Track the "Great Man" projects: Watch for updates from organizations like the World Grid Authority or infrastructure think tanks that study the Bering Strait crossing.
- Stick to the sea: For now, if you want a slow-travel experience from London to New York, the Queen Mary 2 remains the only consistent, non-aviation way to make the journey.
The dream of the train from London to New York lives on in the blueprints of visionary engineers, but for your next vacation, you’re better off packing your bags for a long ship crossing or a very long flight.