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Switzerland Opens World's Longest, Deepest Rail Tunnel

Published June 1, 2016 at 12:33 PM EDT
A Chinese journalist takes a picture of the 57-kilometre (35-mile) railway tunnel under construction in the Alps at Sedrun on May 6, 2009. The tunnel, which opened this week, is meant to increase rail capacity for freight and passengers through the Alps and between northern Europe and Italy. (Sebastien Bozon/AFP/Getty Images)
A Chinese journalist takes a picture of the 57-kilometre (35-mile) railway tunnel under construction in the Alps at Sedrun on May 6, 2009. The tunnel, which opened this week, is meant to increase rail capacity for freight and passengers through the Alps and between northern Europe and Italy. (Sebastien Bozon/AFP/Getty Images)

The Gotthard Railway Tunnel is 35 miles long and at its deepest point is 1.5 miles beneath the earth’s surface. It runs under the Swiss Alps and will provide a high-speed rail link between northern and southern Europe.

Here & Now‘s Jeremy Hobson speaks with Associated Press reporter Jamey Keaten about the new tunnel and what it will mean for the region and for Switzerland, a country that relies heavily on rail travel.

Guest

  • Jamey Keaten, Associated Press chief correspondent based in Geneva. He tweets @JameyKeaten.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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