If the underwater Eurotunnel linking Britain with France was praised as a feat of engineering in 1994, the Gotthard Tunnel in Switzerland is a wonder of technology in a country reputed for creating precision. The tunnel has broken the biggest trade barrier between south and north Europe by allowing a 57.1km train line help take passengers and goods across hundreds of miles of mountainous terrain. Nature is bountiful and niggardly. So are the Alps. While the beautiful mountains provide a fitting backdrop to the natural beauty of one of the most visited tourist regions in the world, the mighty inundations impede the free flow of people and goods.
The Gotthard Tunnel spans 57.1 kilometres from Bodio to Erstfeld in the Swiss Alps. It had been conceived in the 1940s but work only began some 17 years ago. The Swiss living in the verdant valleys had complained of air and noise pollution because of the thousands of lorries passing through the older Gotthard tunnel that didn’t have a rail line.
The importance of the new rail link is all the more as it is going to be part of a railroad linking the south and north of Switzerland. The picturesque valleys of Switzerland, which is not part of the European Union, came into political spotlight as leaders of Germany, France, Italy were hosted by the Swiss president for the high-profile opening that featured an engaging performance by several artistes. The tunnel, which cost $12.5bn, is also the world’s deepest as it runs below a stretch of the mountain where it is high.
The gesture of authorities to remember the nine workers killed during construction was a moving ode to human life and closely followed European values.
After weeks and months of European leaders wrangling with issues of migration and ethnicity, the opening of the Gotthard Tunnel was a moment to savour the founding of the European Project that dreamed of a progressive bloc with development paradigms to be emulated by the rest of the world. The leaders riding the tunnel train embodied a symbolism that is a good omen for the bloc often seen split vertically along different ideological strains.
Beyond symbolism, the tunnel would help move freight and people faster to foster trade and boost tourism. Such marvels, besides being of immense technological importance, help unite regions and bring people closer. Gotthard Tunnel would certainly do that.
If the underwater Eurotunnel linking Britain with France was praised as a feat of engineering in 1994, the Gotthard Tunnel in Switzerland is a wonder of technology in a country reputed for creating precision. The tunnel has broken the biggest trade barrier between south and north Europe by allowing a 57.1km train line help take passengers and goods across hundreds of miles of mountainous terrain. Nature is bountiful and niggardly. So are the Alps. While the beautiful mountains provide a fitting backdrop to the natural beauty of one of the most visited tourist regions in the world, the mighty inundations impede the free flow of people and goods.
The Gotthard Tunnel spans 57.1 kilometres from Bodio to Erstfeld in the Swiss Alps. It had been conceived in the 1940s but work only began some 17 years ago. The Swiss living in the verdant valleys had complained of air and noise pollution because of the thousands of lorries passing through the older Gotthard tunnel that didn’t have a rail line.
The importance of the new rail link is all the more as it is going to be part of a railroad linking the south and north of Switzerland. The picturesque valleys of Switzerland, which is not part of the European Union, came into political spotlight as leaders of Germany, France, Italy were hosted by the Swiss president for the high-profile opening that featured an engaging performance by several artistes. The tunnel, which cost $12.5bn, is also the world’s deepest as it runs below a stretch of the mountain where it is high.
The gesture of authorities to remember the nine workers killed during construction was a moving ode to human life and closely followed European values.
After weeks and months of European leaders wrangling with issues of migration and ethnicity, the opening of the Gotthard Tunnel was a moment to savour the founding of the European Project that dreamed of a progressive bloc with development paradigms to be emulated by the rest of the world. The leaders riding the tunnel train embodied a symbolism that is a good omen for the bloc often seen split vertically along different ideological strains.
Beyond symbolism, the tunnel would help move freight and people faster to foster trade and boost tourism. Such marvels, besides being of immense technological importance, help unite regions and bring people closer. Gotthard Tunnel would certainly do that.
