Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
Swiss builders have completed construction of the world’s longest tunnel through a mountain in the south of the country.
The 35-mile NEAT Gotthard Base Tunnel will make rail connections between Zurich, Milan and Turin easier, shortening travel times about about an hour.
The structure cuts through the base of mountains in the Gotthard region, an important north-south corridor between Switzerland and the northern Italian plain.
Trains will be able to run through it at 150 mph (241kmph) thanks to its nearly flat gradient. The structure actually consists of two separate single-track tunnels so trains can run in either direction.
The new tunnel steals the longest tunnel crown from Japan's 14.5-mile Seikan Tunnel.
The first passenger trains are expected to run through the structure in June 2016 after it has been fully outfitted and tested.
The tunnel cost about £6bn and was entirely funded by the Swiss authorities.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments