The breakthrough has happened! A drilling machine broke through the rock underneath the Swiss Alps on Friday morning, creating what will become the longest railroad tunnel in the world.
Blippitt first told you about the Gotthard Base Tunnel back in September of last year, just after the breakthroughs of both the eastern tube and western tube.
This main breathrough on the tunnel’s southern end was expected to occur sometime this year, and now it is complete.
The main section of the Gotthard Base Tunnel is 34 miles long and connects northern and southern Europe, said AlpTransit Gotthard company in a prepared statement.
“The world’s longest tunnel should become operational at the end of 2017,” the statement said.
The company says the tunnel is an environmental feat and will allow millions more tons of items to pass through the Alps by rail.
“Only by upgrading its railway infrastructure can Switzerland meet the rising demand for freight transportation and the increasing needs of customers,” the statement said.
High-speed trains moving at speeds of up to 155 mph will greatly shrink travel times between Zurich, Switzerland and Milan, Italy.
The tunnel is currently scheduled to open in 2017. It will be a total of about 95 miles long when completed.
Related articles
- Swiss break through on world’s longest tunnel (cnn.com)
- Swiss celebrate longest tunnel breakthrough (sfgate.com)
- Swiss poised for record tunnel breakthrough (ctv.ca)
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