World’s Longest Train Tunnel Connects Zurich With Milan
by Adam StumpfAfter 17 years of construction and $12 billion in costs, Switzarland’s Gotthard Base Tunnel (GBT) will open on June 1. It will be the world’s longest and deepest railway tunnel, running 7,500 feet under the Alps.
The tunnel stretches 35.4 miles and allows trains to travel at speeds upwards of 155 miles per hour. The trains will make the trip from Zurich to Milan in just two and a half hours, and will also connect Rotterdam, Holland, and Antwerp, Belgium, to Adriatic ports.
Along with faster and more efficient travel, the tunnel will reduce air pollution and decrease the number of trucks on the roads along trade routes.
The first 1,000 to travel through the tunnel on June 1st will be representatives of the Swiss population. Regular service beginning in December of 2016.
