World's longest rail tunnel to be inaugurated in Switzerland

In Switzerland, the world's longest and deepest rail tunnel, running under the Swiss Alps, will be inaugurated today. The 57-kilometer long Gotthard Base Tunnel will connect northern and southern Europe and shorten travel time for many rail routes. It overtakes Japan's Seikan tunnel, which measures 53.9 kilometers, as the longest rail tunnel



in the world. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi will join Swiss authorities for a ceremonial first run through the tunnel today. Full service will begin in December. The tunnel was built in 17 years by 2,400 workers, at a cost of over 12 billion dollars.