3 ms·

Except in a subway systems, the cost of the stations dominates the cost of the tunnels. So a small saving on the tunnelling itself doesn't make much difference.

• wahern 2y ago
  Without a doubt there's been tremendous inflation for the cost of stations, even ignoring the marginal cost of in-fill stations in dense urban areas. Planners and especially politicians demand ever fancier and larger stations. That just speaks to the amount of cost inflation all around. Notice how the review article mentions how "cheap" the Vegas Loop feels. Would they say the same about old stations in places like Boston, or do they apply a different metric because of different expectations? (And to be honest, I know my expectations are different, because we're accustomed to newer things being prettier, at least superficially, especially in the age of disposal products. It's an understandable characterization they made, but it's not very reasonable.) Learning how to build more affordable, utilitarian stations, just like tunneling, is a lost skill. Like any skill, developing it requires iteration and repetition, and over time the output will become more refined. But to achieve frequent iteration will require dramatic reductions in costs.