The 57km (35-mile) twin-bore Gotthard base tunnel will provide a high-speed rail link under the Swiss Alps between northern and southern Europe. <br />Switzerland says it will revolutionise European freight transport. <br />Goods currently carried on the route by a million lorries a year will go by train instead. <br />The tunnel has overtaken Japan's 53.9km Seikan rail tunnel as the longest in the world and pushed the 50.5km Channel Tunnel linking the UK and France into third place.
