The world's longest and deepest rail tunnel, the Gotthard base tunnel, has officially opened in Switzerland after nearly two decades of construction. Stretching 57km (35 miles) under the Swiss Alps, the twin-bore tunnel provides a high-speed rail link between northern and southern Europe, promising to revolutionise freight transport on the continent.
Swiss Federal President Johann Schneider-Ammann described the project as a 'giant step for Switzerland but equally for our neighbours and the rest of the continent.' The tunnel surpasses Japan's 53.9km Seikan rail tunnel as the longest in the world, pushing the 50.5km Channel Tunnel linking the UK and France into third place.
The opening ceremony featured a live relay from both ends of the tunnel, with two trains carrying hundreds of guests who had won tickets in a draw travelling in opposite directions. European leaders including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, and Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern attended the event.
Mr Hollande compared the Gotthard to the Channel Tunnel, recalling the Franco-British project completed in 1994, and expressed hope that the UK would remember the benefits of unity ahead of its EU referendum. The tunnel is expected to reduce travel time between Zurich and Milan by one hour to two hours and 40 minutes when full services begin in December.
Costing over $12bn (£8.3bn), the tunnel was endorsed by Swiss voters in a 1992 referendum and financed through value-added and fuel taxes, road charges, and state loans. It will carry about 260 freight and 65 passenger trains daily, with a journey time as short as 17 minutes. Nine workers died during construction, commemorated by a plaque near the northern entrance.
