Swiss reclaim world tunnel record
Miners celebrate after a drill machine broke through the final stretch of rock to create the longest tunnel in the world under the Swiss Alps.
The breakthrough came 8,200 feet (2,500 metres) below the Gotthard massif several minutes ahead of schedule. Miners, VIPs and journalists inside the tunnel cheered as Switzerland reclaimed the tunnel record from Japan’s Seikan Tunnel.
The 35.4-mile (57-kilometre) Gotthard Base Tunnel will allow millions of tonnes of goods transported through the Alps on heavy trucks to be shifted onto a high-speed rail network. Picture: Christian Hartmann, Pool/AP.