Do once opened, in 1988, although all railway transport between Honsha? Hokkaido (island that unites) used the tunnel, most (90%) of the transportation of passengers was air, since it is an alternative in addition to more and fast more economical. Indeed, today the tunnel is used very little, being preferred air travel for the reasons already said. It has an extension of 53,85 Km – of which 23.3 kilometers lie under the sea – and found through the Tsugaru Strait in Japan, 100 m below the sea floor and about 240 meters under the sea level. Also, part of the Japan Railways Kaikyo Line. The construction work, which took more than two decades, was very difficult and dangerous during such construction killed 34 workers. In 1954 five ferries (including the Toya Maru was) is shipwrecked at sea during a typhoon and the following year the national company of Japan Railways (JNR) began exploration for its construction.
Another reason for I just carry this tunnel was the increase of travel between the Islands. Finally, the construction of the same decision was made in 1971. It was opened on 13 March 1988, while its cost of 3.6 billion dollars. The portion of the tunnel (which has a length of 23.3 Km) which is under the sea has two stations: Yoshioka Kaitei – on the side of Hokkaido – and Tappi Kaitei – on the side of Honshu. Both stations (the first under the sea in the world) serve as venues for emergencies. The outstanding feature is that these stations have museums detailing from history until the function of the tunnel, even, the two can be visited on special tours. However, currently only Tappi-Kaitei remains as a Museum since Yoshioka-Kaitei was demolished on 16 March 2006, to give place to the Hokkaido Shinkansen preparations. Original author and source of the article.