The World’s Longest Underground Tunnel Near Italy Cost €11 Billion

The Longest Railway Tunnel in the World: The Gotthard Base Tunnel

Nestled in Switzerland, just next to Italy, lies the world’s longest railway tunnel, spanning a total of 57 kilometers, all carved through solid rock.
We’re talking about the Gotthard Base Tunnel, considered by many as one of the most significant and complex engineering feats in the world.

Connecting Switzerland

The tunnel links the Swiss towns of Erstfeld in Uri and Bodio in Ticino.
This modern marvel was inaugurated in 2016, replacing the old Gotthard Tunnel that first opened in 1872.
The dual-track tunnel stretches exactly 57 kilometers, reaching a maximum depth of 2,300 meters, making it the longest and deepest railway tunnel globally.

Construction and Impact

It took 17 years to complete this masterpiece.
Spanning the Alps, it enables a much faster connection between Northern and Southern Europe.
Travel time between Zurich and Lugano has been reduced from 2 hours and 40 minutes to just 2 hours.
The Milan-Zurich route has also benefited, now taking only 3 hours.

A total of 152 kilometers were excavated for the two single tracks and ventilation shafts.
Approximately 28.2 million tons of material were extracted, equivalent to six times the volume of the Great Pyramid of Giza or about 84 Empire State Buildings, along with 3,200 kilometers of copper, just slightly less than the distance between Zurich and Baghdad.

Daily Traffic and Engineering Challenges

Every day, nearly 10,000 people and 67,000 tons of goods travel the 57 kilometers of the Gotthard Base Tunnel, with over 200 trains speeding through.
Apart from its construction, the tunnel is a behemoth due to overcoming challenges such as high temperatures reaching up to 45°C at 2,300 meters, necessitating massive ventilation systems.

A Historic Project

The concept of tunneling through the Alps dates far back.
Following the original tunnel’s completion in the late 1800s, the idea resurfaced in 1961, eventually materializing with the project proposal.
With the rise in road traffic over the years, the need for a railway tunnel capable of transporting containers and trailers on tracks to reduce trucks on the road became imperative.

In 1992, Swiss citizens voted in a referendum, with 64% approving the construction of the Gotthard Base Tunnel, kickstarting the project.
Excavations commenced in 1996, led by AlpTransit Gotthard Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Swiss Federal Railways.
The construction involved 2,600 individuals, tragically resulting in 9 fatalities, including an Italian citizen.
After 14 years, the two ends were finally connected.
The tunnel was opened to the public ahead of schedule on December 11, 2016.

For further reading on new underground tunnels in Europe, including the projected £6 billion tunnel connecting various countries, check out this article.