The Gotthard express route in Switzerland is complete
The Gotthard express route in Switzerland has been completed.
The 15 kilometer long Ceneri tunnel will open on Friday.
Germany is hopelessly lagging behind.
Geneva - Switzerland would be huge if it weren't for the unfolded terrain - that's a common joke.
In order to get through the mountains easily, the Swiss are tunnel masters.
The Swiss made themselves known as champions in the tunnel category in 2016 at the latest when they inaugurated the longest railway tunnel in the world: the Gotthard Base Tunnel runs 57 kilometers under the Alps.
Another underground structure will be handed over on Friday - the 15-kilometer Ceneri Base Tunnel in Ticino.
The Swiss are thus completing their part of the Gotthard express route.
Gotthard express route: Ceneri tunnel opens up free travel to the sea
The express route is intended to facilitate the trans-European freight connection between Amsterdam and Genoa - enabling a flat route through the Alps.
Germany, on the other hand, is lagging behind with its own buildings for the route.
Critics say hopeless, so the Swiss are now considering an alternative route with the French.
The Badische Zeitung reports.
The tunnel masters in the neighboring country live up to their unofficial title, the mountains are riddled with holes like Swiss cheese: there are already more than 550 car, rail, water and other tunnels.
The day the Ceneri tunnel was opened will be followed by the 40th anniversary of the old Gotthard road tunnel on Saturday.
(nai with dpa)
