The new Gotthard Base Tunnel (GBT), set to become the world’s longest railway tunnel when it opens on June 1, is a “godsend for Europe”, EU transport commissioner Violeta Bulc told Swiss media.
The 57-kilometre tunnel, which runs under the Alps, was first conceived in sketch-form in 1947 but construction began 17 years ago.
Since then, some 28.2 million tonnes of mountain rock have been excavated and an estimated $12 billion (Dh44 billion) spent to construct a tunnel that should trim travel times through the heart of Europe.
The GBT “will be a vital link connecting Rotterdam (and) Antwerp with the ports of the Adriatic,” Bulc told the Swiss daily Tages Anzeiger.
It will make north-south travel more fluid, curb air pollution and “will be a driver of growth in Europe,” the Slovenian national was further quoted as saying.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, along with Swiss officials, are due to attend the grand opening next week.
A series of test runs are scheduled for the coming months, with full service starting in December.
No comments:
Post a Comment