The longest, deepest rail tunnel in the world opened Wednesday in Switzerland, following almost 70 years after its initial planning and 17 years after the start of construction.
The 35-mile, twin-bore Gotthard Base Tunnel with a high-speed rail link under the Swiss Alps — something expected to revolutionize cargo and passenger transport and slash the four-hour journey from Zurich to Milan at present by about an hour.
Ultimately, a high-speed rail will cover Rotterdam, Netherlands in the north to Italian city Genoa in the south.
First End-To-End Journey
"Today is an historic day for our country: We have completed the Gotthard Base Tunnel, an epic feat of engineering, a project that has involved generations, from the first sketches, to the planning and construction of the tunnel,” said Swiss President Johann Schneider-Ammann from the tunnel’s north portal during one of the two opening celebrations.
From the south portal of the tunnel, Transport Minister Doris Leuthard dubbed the feat “a symbol of openness and progress” linking various languages, peoples, and cultures.
In attendance were German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern, and Liechtenstein Prime Minister Adrian Hasler.
The first two trains from each portal set off at 12:18 p.m., arriving at the other end at 12:50 p.m. to crowds’ cheers and applause. About 500 people were on board the first journeys, all winners of a competition to gain those seats.
This $12.5-billion project bumped the 33-mile Seikan rail tunnel of Japan off the top of the longest rail tunnels worldwide. But its record probably won’t be for long, as China has expressed plans to build a 76-mile link from its northern Dalian as well as Yantai cities.
By The Numbers: Gotthard Base Tunnel
After the Swiss people voted in favor of it in a number of referendums, the project took off and employed a 1,345-foot boring machine through the Alps to make things happen.
Dating back 13th century as a marker of national unity, Gotthard was the centerpiece of the country’s defense mission against the Nazi invasion, which didn’t take place.
Back in 1947, Swiss engineer Carl Eduard Gruner outlined plans for a base tunnel in the area but the route needed to be altered due to engineering issues. The final plan was born in 2010 and took 125 workers in three shifts from then on to install the concrete slab track on which the system will run.
After testing, the two-tube tunnel is expected to accommodate about 65 passenger trains and 260 freight trains every day. Trains will eventually take over products and goods carried by a million trucks annually.
