Gotthard Base Tunnel Excavation Moving Forward

SEDRUN, SWITZERLAND - APRIL 19: Miners prepare a stone wall for detonation at the construction site for the Gotthard Base Tunnel on April 19, 2007 near Sedrun, Switzerland. Deep beneath the Alps, the Swiss are building a high-speed rail link between Zurich and Milan. At 57 kilometres (35 miles) The Gotthard Base Tunnel will be the world's longest tunnel. A key feature of the project, which is new to alpine transport, is the fact that the entire railway line will stay at the same altitude of 500 metres (1,650ft) above sea level. This will allow trains using the line to reach speeds of 240kmh (149mph), reducing the travel time between Zurich and Milan from today's four hours to just two-and-a-half. The completion is planned for 2018. (Photo by Johannes Simon/Getty Images)