Longest rail tunnel of world to open in Switzerland under Alps

Bern: Having cost 12 billion Swiss franc to complete, 57kms in length and situated 2.3kms deep under the Alps mountain range, the Gotthard base tunnel of Switzerland is the most expensive and longest tunnelling project of the world.

On June 1, the central European country will be celebrating this masterpiece of engineering, inaugurating the world’s longest rail tunnel.

The Gotthard, which was once called a ‘regal’ mountain range by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe – German poet, is where the source of the rivers Rhone, Ticino and Rhine are situated. Moreover, it is the most important link between the North Sea and the Mediterranean.

Highlights:

• When completely established, the tunnel will overtake Japan’s 53.9kms long Seikan Tunnel as the world’s largest train tunnel.
• It is believed that only a federal government can spend such big amounts of money, having the population’s support.
• Once fully functional, the tunnel will take only 45 minutes to cover the distance between Zurich and Lugano, which is almost 153kms.