With the recent opening of the record-breaking Gotthard Base Tunnel in Switzerland, there will be a major shift in European cargo shipping from truck to rail. Cutting through the Alps, the tunnel will reduce transit times on one of Euorpe’s busiest transport corridors, connecting the northern European ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam to southern Europe.
The 57-kilometre tunnel is the world’s longest, eclipsing Japan’s 33.4 mile Seikan tunnel. It will be able to handle up to 260 freight trains a day, travelling at a maximum speed of 100 kilometres per hour across two single tracks. The project cost $12.3 billion and took 17 years to complete.
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