Longest rail tunnel; but much work remains

October 18, 2010

It’s billed as the world’s longest tunnel – 35.4 miles long — and it’s been 60 years in the planning and digging. It’s in Switzerland.

The Gotthard Base Tunnel is the backbone of a proposed high-speed freight and passenger rail network through Europe, according to various news reports, cutting under the Alps and intended to create a high-speed rail link from Rotterdam in The Netherlands to Genoa in Italy.

Train speeds through the tunnel are projected to reach 155 mph.

However, still to be completed, according to news reports, are two more rail tunnels – one in France and the other in Italy — meaning the first high-speed trains from Rotterdam to Genoa along the route might not operate for another 10 years.