5 Sep 1980 in Switzerland has opened the longest at that time railway tunnel. A 16-kilometre tunnel, carved into the rock, allowed the trains of the courier service to deliver the mail quickly. Today we decided to recall the longest tunnels in which trains.
The Eurotunnel
Perhaps the most famous tunnel built under the English channel opened in 1994. He joined London and Paris, thanks to him, the travelers can easily get from one capital to another in just two and a half hours. A long tunnel of more than 50 kilometers, of which 39 are directly beneath the Strait.
Interestingly, the idea of building came into the heads of European architects in the 18th century. At that time it was assumed that the tunnel will run carriages drawn by horses in the light of oil lamps. But then money for the implementation of risk ideas is not found, however, architects and builders continued to improve. And in the 20th century, after almost two centuries, the tunnel has finally, officially opened.
The tunnel through the Alps
Opening of the longest railway tunnel through the Swiss Alps took place in 2003. Its length is 10 kilometers, a tunnel cut through the mountains to connect Zurich and Thalwil. It was built over six years and currently is probably the most safe in the world: he is equipped with powerful extracts air, telephone numbers and floodlights for illumination. It even has a special SOS-compartments in which passengers can hide in case of danger. In the tunnel never goes away your cell phones and support so strong that the trains can easily run at speeds over 200 kilometers per hour.
Tunnel Seikan
Today, the tunnel is considered the longest. He is in Japan and connects the island of Honshu and the island Hokkaido. A long tunnel is more than 53 kilometers, and more than 20 kilometers away under water, under the Tsugaru Strait. Passengers of trains running through this tunnel down into the ground 100 metres below the seabed. However, the shipping company says — the journey through the tunnel is perfectly safe.
While the longest tunnel is Seikan
The Gotthard tunnel
The construction of this tunnel is still in progress, but architects say — when construction is finished, it will become the longest tunnel in the world. Its length is 57 meters, including crossings designed for pedestrians. There is a tunnel in Switzerland and literally pierces the Alps – the Northern portal of the tunnel is near the village Erstfeld and the southern portal near the village of Bodø. According to carriers, the Gotthard tunnel will shorten the journey from Zurich to Milan down to three hours. The opening of the tunnel is planned in 2016.
To date, the construction of the Gotthard tunnel continues
