Sunday February 14th 2021
Johnson is an advocate
Tunnel project to Northern Ireland is under consideration
The dream of a tunnel between Scotland and Northern Ireland has existed for more than 100 years. And apparently the project is never being pursued more seriously than before. One of the reasons is Brexit. There is resistance from the industrial association.
Billions in plans to build a tunnel between the British province of Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK seem to be more concrete. Corresponding proposals from the rail industry are currently being examined, reported the Sunday Times and Sunday Telegraph. According to this, the 40 kilometer long underwater tube between the Scottish Stranraer and the Northern Irish Larne is to be built – the two places are already connected by a ferry.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is a big proponent of the project, it said. The tunnel would reduce the travel time from London to the Northern Irish capital Belfast to four hours. The connection would also bind Northern Ireland more closely to the rest of the country – a key point for Johnson, especially in view of Brexit.
Because Northern Ireland has remained part of the EU customs union since Brexit as a result of a complicated regulation, a customs border in the Irish Sea has arisen between the region and Great Britain, which causes delivery problems. The provincial anger over Johnson is huge.
Mind games about a transport link between Great Britain and the Irish Isles have been around for more than 100 years. But they were seldom very advanced. The construction of a bridge is also considered impossible because of the often strong winds in the Irish Sea. In addition, the pillars would have to be driven hundreds of meters into the seabed.
A tunnel is therefore considered more realistic. Scotland Minister Alister Jack had said almost a year ago that the tube could be completed by 2030. The Eurotunnel, which has been connecting Great Britain with the continent since 1994, is to serve as a model. However, headwind is coming from the industrial association CBI. The "Sunday Times" quoted the association as saying that the project meant "potentially expensive and inefficient use of scarce public resources".
.