Tunnels have always been considered irreplaceable structures necessary for safe passage or passage underground. But if earlier such architectural masterpieces helped people quietly penetrate enemy territory, today their construction is connected with other goals. Moreover, they differ from each other in structure, location and length. We decided to tell you today what the longest tunnels in the world are.
The longest Japanese tunnel
The longest railway tunnel to date is located in the Land of the Rising Sun. It is called Seikan, which means “Majestic Spectacle” in Japanese. The tunnel is quite impressive in size and even has a part hidden under water. Thus, its total length is 53.85 km, and the underwater fragment corresponds to a length of 23.3 km. That is why, in addition to the title of one of the largest land structures, Seikan also has another title - the longest underwater tunnel in the world.
The structure itself, which took at least 40 years to build, was erected in 1988. It contains two stations. However, despite the power of the building, Seikan is currently not used as often as before. According to analysts, this is due to an increase in railway fares.
Seikan is a tunnel whose depth is 240 m. This marvelous creation of man is located under the famous. According to the designers, the tunnel unites Hokkaido.
Few people know that the original impetus that led to the creation of this giant was a typhoon, as a result of which 5 passenger ferries were wrecked. As a result of this disaster, more than 1,150 tourists, including crew members, died on board just one of them.
The longest and most land connection in the world
The longest tunnels in the world can be divided into the following types:
- aboveground;
- underground;
- automobile, or road;
- railway;
- underwater.
Lamberg, once built in Switzerland, is considered one of the longest above-ground tunnels. Its length is 34 km. Trains can easily travel along it, sometimes reaching speeds of 200 km/h. It is noteworthy that this structure helps Swiss travelers arrive in one of the most popular resort areas countries - Valle. According to experienced tourists, this is where numerous thermal springs are located.
It is interesting that, in addition to its main task, Lamberg, like the other longest tunnels in the world, also performs a number of others. In particular, near the building itself there are warm ones that help to heat Tropenhaus Frutigen - a nearby greenhouse and tropical crops growing on its territory.
One of the largest automobile subways
The longest road tunnel in the world is Lerdal. This 24.5 km long structure is a kind of connecting bridge between the municipalities of Airland and Laerdal, located in western Norway. Moreover, the Lärdal tunnel is considered a continuation of the famous E16 highway, which is located between Bergen and Oslo.
Construction of the famous tunnel began in mid-1995, and it ended closer to 2000. From that moment on, the structure was recognized as one of the longest automobile subways, leaving behind the famous Gotthard Tunnel by as much as 8 km.
Interestingly, the construction passes through mountains whose height is above 1600 m. Thanks to the precise calculations of the architects, experts managed to reduce the load on drivers moving through the tunnel. And this was achieved by creating three additional grottoes, equidistant from each other. At the same time, the data artificial caves divide the free space under the building into four long sections. This is such an unusual and longest tunnel in the world.
Third longest railway tunnel
The Eurotunnel is considered the third longest among other subways passing through railway tracks. This structure runs under the English Channel and unites Great Britain with part of continental Europe. With its help, anyone can travel from Paris to London in just a couple of hours. The train remains inside the underground pipe for an average of 20-35 minutes.
The grand opening of the Eurotunnel took place in May 1994. Despite the fact that a lot of money was spent on the construction of this underground corridor, the world community recognized it as a miraculous masterpiece. Therefore, the building was classified as one of modern miracles Sveta. According to preliminary estimates, this longest tunnel in the world will become self-sustaining only after 1000 years.
Longest tunnel in the Alps
Another incredible underground corridor that has not lost its position for over half a century is the Simplon Tunnel. It is he who is considered the most successful link between the city of Domodossola (Italy) and Brig (Switzerland). In addition, the building itself has a convenient geographical position, as it crosses the famous Orient Express route and affects one of the lines in the Paris-Istanbul direction.
Incredibly, the Simplon Tunnel has its own history. These walls remember a lot, for example, the fact that during the Second World War the entrance and exit from it were mined. However, an unauthorized explosion was avoided thanks to the help of local partisans. Currently, the subway consists of two portals 19803 and 19823 m long. Now you know where the longest tunnel in the world is.
Unfinished “monster” in the Alps
There is also an unfinished one in the Alps, which is called a real monster of modern architectural buildings. This titanium, whose length is about 57 km, is comfortably located in friendly Switzerland. According to the project developers themselves, the main goal of the tunnel is the safe passage of goods and passengers through the Alps. In addition, it can be used to reduce the three-hour journey from Zurich to Milan to two hours and fifty minutes.
And although the Gotthard tunnel in this moment It's not finished yet, it's already breaking records for the amount of money spent. As reported in one foreign publication, to date the construction of the underground corridor has cost its owners $10.3 billion. The opening of one of the longest railway tunnels is planned for 2017.
The longest tunnels in the world: undersea connection between Japan and South Korea
The South Korean government, together with the Japanese, has developed a plan to build a tunnel 182 km long. This decision was made in order to increase trade turnover and speed up transport connections between the two countries. This project, according to experts, will be grandiose. And although its construction is just beginning, developers, engineers and architects have already had to face a lot of problems. In particular, it is not yet clear how the rescue system will work if a random accident suddenly occurs.
The longest and most expensive tunnel in the world
The longest road tunnel, where you can see eight lanes of the highway at once, is considered the Great Boston Tunnel. However, its amazing structure and design undoubtedly pale in comparison to the amount that the customers of this building had to pay.
According to preliminary data, the total budget spent on the construction of the tunnel exceeded $14.6 billion. But the contractors were unable to meet this amount, so additional daily costs amounted to about $3 million. More than 150 modern cranes worked during the construction of the Great Boston Tunnel. Moreover, more than 5,000 employees participated in the process itself.
The longest tunnel in all of Spain
Spain also boasts Guadarama, a long land tunnel that connects Valladolid with Madrid. Its length is only 28.37 km. The opening of this building took place in 2007. Later they started talking about Guadarama as the largest architectural work in Spain.
Large underground tunnel in Japan
Japan is famous for its underground and above-ground buildings, including the large Hakkoda railway tunnel. Its total length is about 26.5 km. Many years have passed since the opening of this building until now. But it continues to be one of the most unique spacious passages, along which two trains can pass at once.
It will be useful to find out which railway tunnel is the longest and which tunnel is the longest in the world. It is also interesting to find out the name of the longest tunnel in Russia and in its capital.
Longest railway tunnel
It is known that the most long tunnel Among the railways, is the unique Gotthard Tunnel in Switzerland. Its construction began in 1999 - almost seventeen years, although the first sketch appeared in 1947. On June 1, 2016, authorities announced that the tunnel would be ready for commissioning after undergoing extensive testing, which would last until December 2016.Engineering design paved the way under mountain pass, which is called Saint Gotthard. The length of the tunnel is fifty-seven kilometers, and if you count both shafts, as well as auxiliary passages and shafts, it will be more than one hundred and fifty-three kilometers.
From 2017, the Gotthard Tunnel will become part of the unified pan-European high-speed rail network NEAT (NEue AlpenTransversale), reducing the distance between Zurich and Milan. It is assumed that the speed high speed trains while passing through this underground tunnel will be about 250 kilometers per hour, and freight trains will reach a speed of at least 160 kilometers.
The tunnel was built so that trains could move in the opposite direction along different trunks. Emergency mines and emergency stations will be provided. Of the already operating railway tunnels, the longest is the Seikan tunnel, located in Japan, which is only three kilometers shorter than the Gotthard tunnel.
The longest tunnel in Moscow
Many tunnels have been built in Russian Moscow. Today, tunnels help relieve congestion on the capital’s roads, and are also the optimal solution to the transport problem of the metropolis. One of the longest is considered to be the one laid under Serebryany Bor. Its length is more than three kilometers. This tunnel is one of the most difficult sections of Krasnopresnensky Prospekt. 
Thanks to this construction, there was no need to build a road along Serebryany Bor. The tunnel consists of three tiers. Metro trains move along the lower tier, vehicles move along the middle tier, and the vaulted upper tier is intended for smoke removal. The exact length of this tunnel is 3126 meters. The middle tunnel, which is intended for vehicles, is three-lane, with a lane width of three and a half meters. The diameter of each tunnel is fourteen meters.
For a long time, one of the longest tunnels in the capital was the Lefortovo tunnel. Its length is two kilometers one hundred and fifty meters. So far, the Serebryanoborsky tunnel remains the longest, but it will not remain the longest for long, since there are plans to build several more tunnels, among which will be one whose length will exceed four kilometers.
The longest tunnel in Russia
It would be interesting to find out the details about the longest tunnel in Russia. The Gyumri tunnel, which is a road tunnel and is located in Dagestan, is recognized as such. It is the longest not only in Russia, but throughout the CIS. 
This tunnel connects nine mountainous regions of Dagestan with Makhachkala. It plays a vital role, since with its help, residents of mountainous regions can reach Makhachkala in just two to three hours.
Construction began in the seventies, but the construction was suspended in the nineties. In 2008, its reconstruction began, on which more than ten billion rubles were spent. The opening took place in the fall of 2012.
The exact length of this tunnel is four kilometers, two hundred and eighty-five meters. It has operational ventilation, automatic fire alarms, television surveillance, public address and burglar alarms. There is also a completely unique seismic laboratory installed there, which is capable of providing information on seismic activity both in this region and beyond. Equipment for this laboratory was specially ordered from Italy.
The longest tunnel in the world
Since there are different types of tunnels, we can name the longest tunnels of each type. So the “champion” among road tunnels is the Laerdal tunnel. It is located in Norway and is twenty-four and a half kilometers long. 
But the Delaware Aqueduct is considered the longest water supply tunnel. Since 1945, it has provided New York with water. Its length is as much as one hundred and thirty-seven kilometers.
For a long time, the longest railway tunnel was the Japanese Seikan. But soon movement will begin along another already built tunnel, which is almost three kilometers longer than the Japanese one - this is the Gotthard Tunnel, built in Switzerland under a mountain pass. Its length is fifty-seven kilometers.
The longest metro tunnel is in Guangzhou. The length of the third metro line is sixty-seven kilometers and three hundred meters.
There are also irrigation tunnels. The longest of them is the Turkish tunnel called Sanliurfa. Its task is to distribute the water of the Euphrates River so that the nearby desert lands are transformed into fruitful farms. It consists of two main tunnels of twenty-six kilometers and four hundred meters each. This is an absolute record among reclamation systems.
Not only tunnels, but also bridges are of interest. For example, according to the website, the world's longest railway bridge is 164.8 kilometers long. You can read more about this.
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Modern tunnels help overcome various natural obstacles, reduce travel time and allow you to significantly save on gasoline. Many of them are impressive not only with their technical equipment and security systems, but also with their size. The longest road tunnel in Moscow is Lefortovo. Its length is 3.24 km. The tunnel runs under the park of the same name and the Yauza River. In Russia, the Gimrinsky tunnel in Dagestan is considered the largest. An underground highway 4.3 km long connects mountain villages with the center of the republic and saves 20 minutes.
And yet, Russian tunnels are still far from achieving world records. There are many much longer structures on the planet, which also have their own zest. For example, in Norway underground lighting imitates sunset and sunrise, and in China it imitates clouds and sun rays. In the Laerdal tunnel there are “rest caves” for drivers, and in the St. Gotthard tunnel there are “waiting rooms” for heavy vehicles. Today, leading engineers are building entire networks of underground highways: “spiral”, combined, with roundabouts, intersections, transport interchanges in the rock, caves and panoramic view to the cliffs. Autonews talks about eight record-breaking longest road tunnels in the world.
Italy, Mont Blanc tunnel - 11.61 km
Photo: Harald Wenzel-Orf/Globallookpress
The Mont Blanc Tunnel runs under Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps. It connects ski resort Chamonix is in France with the Italian city of Courmayeur, so there are customs posts at both entrances. Before the fire in the spring of 1999, thousands of cars managed to pass through the underground highway. The cause of the incident was a fire in the engine of a truck that was transporting flour and margarine. It took about €400 million and three years to restore the Mont Blanc Tunnel. During this time, it was equipped with 120 video surveillance cameras, many thermal sensors, emergency exits and a first aid station. Today the speed limit here is from 50 to 70 km/h. Violating it can result in a large fine or loss of your driver's license. About 5 thousand cars pass through the tunnel every day. The fare for passenger cars ranges from €45.6 on the French side to €46.4 on the Italian side.
France, Fréjus tunnel – 12.87 km
An alternative route for road traffic between France and Italy is the Frejus high-altitude tunnel. Its construction began in 1974, and the launch was scheduled for July 12, 1980. In the first two decades, Frejus received over 20 million cars. After the fire in the Mont Blanc tunnel, it was equipped with the latest smoke detectors, a video camera system, fire hydrants and temperature sensors. Additional modernization of the highway was carried out in 2005. For €10 million, it was equipped with 11 shelters and an automated system for detecting accidents and fires. Today, 80% of all trade between countries passes through Fréjus. Interestingly, in the middle of the tunnel is the French underground laboratory Modan. At a depth of 1.7 km, international experiments in the fields of nuclear physics, microelectronics and biology are conducted here.
Taiwan, Xueshan Tunnel - 12.91 km
The name of the Taiwanese tunnel translates as " snow mountain" A $3 billion underground highway connects the island's capital Taipei and the northeastern province of Yilan. It passes through the central mountain range Taiwan. For almost 15 years, leading engineers built the tunnel in the face of complex geological obstacles. Due to dozens of landslides, floods and collapses, work often had to be interrupted. Therefore, some experts were confident that the project would never be completed. However, in the summer of 2006 the tunnel was opened. Thanks to this, travel time between cities was reduced from two hours to 30 minutes, and many new hotels appeared in the vicinity of Xueshan. For several years in a row, the maximum speed on the highway was 70 km/h. To increase capacity during peak hours, it was increased to 90 km/h in 2012. Today there are two service radio stations operating here. They promptly inform drivers about the situation on different sections of the highway, broadcast the latest news and music.
Austria, Arlberg Tunnel – 13.97 km
The Arlberg passes through the mountain range of the same name in the Eastern Alps. Car lanes and railway tracks are laid parallel to each other and connected by special crossings. Initially, only one track worked for trains, but it was not enough. Therefore, just six months after the tunnel was launched, the second track was opened. The main difference between the tunnel is its high-quality technical equipment. There are more than 40 CCTV cameras alone, and emergency telephones are located every 200 m. In addition, Arlberg is equipped with a high-pressure fogging system and a modern thermal scanner. The latter detects trucks and buses with overheated engines before entering the tunnel. In the construction of additional evacuation routes and reconstruction of the power highway invested €136 million. Now about 8 thousand cars pass through Arlberg every day. Drivers need to pay €10 for one trip.
Switzerland, Gotthard Tunnel – 16.94 km
The tunnel under the Gotthard Pass was commissioned in 1980. If you do not exceed the speed limit of 80 km/h, you can cross it completely free of charge. It took ten years to build the 17-kilometer two-lane highway. Today, about 17 thousand vehicles are registered here per day, of which 15% are heavy trucks. Traffic strongly depends on the season: sometimes it exceeds the mark of 34 thousand cars. To ensure a safe distance between trucks, their entry is controlled by traffic lights. They handle no more than 3.5 thousand heavy trucks per day Vehicle, so there are special “waiting rooms” on both sides of the tunnel. In the coming years, the Swiss authorities plan to carry out a major overhaul of the highway. Namely, update the suspended ceiling, tunnel ventilation and drainage systems. However, it is impossible to close one of the most important transport arteries in Europe for several years. To do this, they will first build a modern “second pipe” parallel to the old tunnel.
China, Zhongnanshan Tunnel - 18.02 km
The Zhongnanshan Tunnel was built in a record five years and launched in 2007. The project cost €330 million. The two-pipe design shortens the path from ancient city Xi'an to Zuoshui County from three hours to 40 minutes. She goes under mountain range Qingling in Shaanxi Province at a depth of up to 1.64 km. There are three ventilation shafts, modern security and monitoring systems. Traffic in the tunnel is organized in two lanes in each direction, and the maximum permitted speed is 80 km/h. A distinctive feature of the Chinese underground highway is its unusual design, which makes it a favorite attraction for tourists. The lighting system projects multi-colored patterns onto the walls and imitates a cloudy sky, and the roadsides are decorated with compositions of artificial trees, flowers and lawns. This not only looks impressive, but also allows drivers to maintain concentration throughout the route. In addition, this design significantly reduces eye strain.
Japan, Yamate Tunnel - 18.2 km
Deep underground tunnel Yamate runs through the center of Tokyo and has two lanes in each direction. It is equipped with LED lighting, infrared sensors, fire extinguishers, escalators, fogging and dust collection. Emergency telephones and cameras are located here at intervals of 100 m, emergency exits are located every 350 m, and sprinklers are located every 50 m. Construction of the tunnel lasted from 1992 to 2015. Today it is a key section of the Central Ring Route and helps relieve heavy traffic on the streets of the Japanese capital. After the opening of the tunnel, the amount of congestion in the city decreased by about 40%, but in Yamate itself, collapses sometimes occur. In January 2018, due to heavy snowfall, a 10-kilometer traffic jam formed inside: at one of the exits, cars could not go up the mountain. As a result, hundreds of cars were blocked in the tunnel for almost ten hours. Emergency ladders helped people get to the surface.
Norway, Laerdal tunnel - 24.51 km
Thousands of different tunnels have been built in Norway, including many underwater structures. In difficult mountainous terrain and harsh climates, they make it easier to travel around the country. The Lärdal tunnel is considered the longest tunnel not only in Scandinavia, but throughout the world. This is part of the road connecting Bergen with the Norwegian capital. Thousands of cars pass through it every day, and the entire journey takes about 20 minutes. Interesting feature Laerdal - three artificial grottoes where drivers can stop and rest. In addition, the €113 million tunnel is equipped the latest system air purification using forced ventilation and color lighting. The road itself is illuminated with white light, and the rest areas are illuminated with blue and yellow light, simulating a sunset. To attract the attention of drivers, special noise strips have been installed along the entire route. But there are no emergency exits in the tunnel. Instead, there are emergency telephones, fire extinguishers, video surveillance and mobile communications.
The Laerdal Tunnel is currently the longest road tunnel on the planet.
We focus on the word “automobile”, since there are longer tunnels, but they are used by rail. That's why we don't include them in our schedule.
In Norway it is almost impossible to travel between settlements without crossing the mountains. Those who have traveled to Norway know how beautiful this country is. Unfortunately, its complex geography, abundance of mountains, glaciers and labyrinthine fjords sometimes create conditions in which some Norwegian communities remain cut off from each other and from civilization during the winter. To build communication routes that do not depend on weather and seasonal conditions, it is often necessary to create them directly through the rocks, that is, to build tunnels.
In general, humanity is trying to make things as easy as possible and reduce the distances between points on the globe. One such logical project is the legendary Panama Canal.
The Laerdal Tunnel is one of the roads connecting remote areas of the country.
Where is the Laerdal tunnel?
The tunnel connects the municipalities of Laerdal and Aurland in the Sogn og Fjordane region in southwestern Norway and is part of the E16 road between Oslo (the capital) and Bergen, the country's second largest city.
Geographic coordinates 60.973894, 7.379064
Laerdal tunnel in numbers
- Length – 24.51 km
- Width – 9 meters
- Average height – 7.5 meters
- Minimum height – 5 meters
- Start of construction - March 15, 1995
- Commissioning date: November 27, 2000
- The mountains in which the tunnel is built reach 1600 meters in height
- Average daily traffic 1000 cars
- The average travel time is 20 minutes (at the end of the article you can watch a video of driving through the tunnel, although the sound design of the video is, as they say, “not for everyone”)
- Project cost NOK 1.082 billion (or US$113.1 million)
- The Laerdal tunnel has two lanes of traffic in opposite directions
Find out about the Øresund Bridge-Tunnel between Denmark and Sweden. If you are confused by the wording “Bridge-Tunnel”, then be sure to read the article at the link above and find out why this definition is the most correct.
Safety of the Laerdal Tunnel
One of the main challenges facing engineers was keeping drivers on their toes during 20 minutes of monotonous driving with the same landscape outside the window. This is indeed very important for drivers who may lose concentration leading to an accident.
To achieve this, the Lärdal Tunnel has small bends between straight sections of the road, and large caves can be found every 6 km along the way. There are three such caves in total. They are designed to break up the monotony of the journey, to give the driver the opportunity to rest or turn around if necessary. For people with claustrophobia, such caves will become a kind of outlet. The caves divide the entire tunnel into 4 approximately equal sections. Besides three large caves, there are emergency niches every 500 meters. 
Lighting and rumble strip
Particular attention was paid to lighting. The main tunnel (the areas between the caves) is illuminated in white tones, simulating daylight. The caves feature blue lighting with yellow lights around the edges to give the impression of a sunrise.
In the center, between the traffic lanes, there is a “rumble strip”. This is a special corrugated surface, when driving over it, increased noise from the wheels is generated. Thus, even if the driver loses his vigilance, he will immediately concentrate on the road.
Pay attention to the markings in the center. It has a corrugated surface. This is a line of rumble or noise. Air purification system in the Lärdal tunnel
There are no numerous ventilation outlets in the tunnel. Therefore, the second important design problem was the air supply and purification system.
The Laerdal Tunnel was the first tunnel equipped with its own air purification and ventilation unit.
Large fans draw air from both inlets and exhaust contaminated air through one single vent. This exit and the treatment plant itself are located in a separate 100-meter cave 9.5 kilometers from the southern end of the tunnel on the Aurland municipality side. Plus, there are electrostatic and carbon filters that, in addition to removing dust, clean the air from nitrogen dioxide.
Additional security systems
There are no emergency exits in the tunnel. In case of accidents or fire, a number of precautions are provided. There are emergency telephones marked “SOS” every 250 meters. They allow you to quickly contact the police, fire or medical services. Fire extinguishers are located every 125 meters. Moreover, if an emergency telephone is used or a fire extinguisher is removed, then the brake lights and “turn” and “exit” signs light up throughout the entire tunnel, and the “tunnel closed” signs turn on at both entrances and exits.
Video of the drive through the Lärdal tunnel
The longest and deepest tunnel in the world, running under Swiss Alps, has finally opened! To mark this occasion, in this article we will look at the longest railway tunnels in the world.
So, let's go!
10. Gumzang Tunnel, South Korea - 20.3 km
(Geumjeong Tunnel)
Gumzangl is ranked tenth on the list of the longest railway tunnels in the world. It is part of the Seoul-Busan High Speed Railway. A tunnel buried in the mountains connects the Nopo area with Busanjin Station in Busan.
Also, Gumzangl is the longest railway tunnel in South Korea. It is located at a depth of more than 300 m from the ground. Its width is 14 meters, height 12. The tunnel belongs to the South Korean Railway Administration.
Construction of the tunnel, which was completed in 2009, took place in three sections. The first two sites were opened in 2008. The last section, connecting Nopo-dong and Hwameong-dong, was completed in February 2009.
9. Wushaoling Tunnel, China - 21.05 km
(Wushaoling Tunnel)
Wushaoling, a railway tunnel in Gansu province in northwestern China, was the country's longest tunnel until the end of 2007. Located on the Lanzhou-Xinjiang Railway crossing the Wushaoling Mountains. After the tunnel was put into operation, the road between Lanzhou and Urumqi was shortened by 30.4 km and became completely double-track.
The tunnel consists of two parallel threads, laid at a distance of 40 meters from each other. The portal on the Lanzhou side is located at an altitude of 2663 m, the opposite portal is at an altitude of 2447 m. During the construction of the tunnel, a new Austrian tunneling method was used; the tunnel equipment allows trains to pass at speeds of up to 160 km/h. The eastern line of the Wushaoling tunnel was put into operation in March 2006, the western line in August 2006. The total construction cost was 7.8 billion yuan.
22,221 km
(Daishimizu Tunnel)
Daismizu Tunnel, Japan. Photo: Nihongarden/Wikimedia Commons
A railway tunnel on the Jōetsu Shinkansen high-speed line on the border of Gunma and Niigata prefectures.
In 1978, construction of the Dai-Shimizu Tunnel was completed. This tunnel was dug specifically for the Joetsu Shinkansen line, which was scheduled to be completed in 1982. This tunnel was the longest tunnel in the world. During construction, a fire broke out in the tunnel, resulting in very heavy smoke - 16 workers died from carbon monoxide poisoning. The Daismizu Tunnel reduced travel time between Niigata and Tokyo to approximately one hour and forty minutes, three hours faster than the regular Joetsu Line.
In addition, during the construction of the tunnel, natural drinking water was discovered. mineral water, which is still sold in bottles to this day.
24 km
(Wienerwald Tunnel)
Wienerwald Tunnel, Austria. Photo: Line29 / Wikimedia Commons The 13.35 kilometer long railway tunnel near Vienna, which has been in operation since December 9, 2012, runs under the northern part of the Wienerwald between Gablitz and Mauerbach. This section of the new section, with speeds of up to 250 kilometers per hour, between Vienna and St. Pölten, is part of the Austrian Western Railway.
The Vienna-St. Pölten section, the current four-way and largest railway corridor in the Westbahn, received two new high-speed branches extending far north of the original line. The largest superstructure is a tunnel that crosses the Wienerwald mountains.
11 km from the western portal of the Wienerwald Tunnel, a double-pipe tunnel (a tunnel consisting of two connected single-track pipes) was built, and the rest is a double-track single-pipe section. Construction of the single-pipe section began in the fall of 2004 using blasting and drilling. The tunnel drilling was completed two years later, structural work was completed in February 2010, and road construction began in the summer of 2010.
The Wienerwald Tunnel is only part of the tunnel complex: its eastern (Viennese) portal ends with an underground passage into a 2.2 km long tunnel with two additional lines for the old Westbahn (which has already been in operation since December 2008) and the Lainzer Tunnel - single-pipe, double-track tunnel with a length of 11.73 km, which opened in 2012). The eastern portal of the Lainzer Tunnel branches into two portals. A total of 24 km of the Wienerwald and Lainzer Tunnel allow travelers along the Westbahn to visit Vienna's new main station. This tunnel is the longest tunnel in Austria.
6. Iwate-Ichinohe Tunnel, Japan - 25,810 km
(Iwate-Ichinohe Tunnel)
The Japanese Iwate-Ichinohe Overland Rail Tunnel is part of the Tohoku Shinkansen line connecting Tokyo with Aomori. When it opened in 2002, it was the longest land tunnel in the world, but was surpassed by the Swiss Lötschberg Tunnel in June 2007.
The tunnel is located 545 km from Tokyo Station on the Tohoku Shinkansen Line, halfway between Morioka and Hachinohe. Preliminary work on the construction of the tunnel began in 1988. Construction began in 1991. The tunnel began operating when the railway opened in 2002. Maximum depth is about 200 m.
The tunnel passes through the hilly terrain near Mount Kitakami and Mount Ou. The Mabuchi and Kitakami rivers are located near the Tokyo Tunnel Port.
The Iwate-Ichinohe is a single-tube, double-track, horseshoe-shaped structure. Cross-sectional dimensions: 9.8 m (width) x 7.7 m (height). The tunnel rises with a 0.5% gradient from Tokyo Port for approximately 22 km and then descends with a 1% gradient to Aomori Port. During its construction it was used new method Austrian tunneling (New Austrian Tunnelling method; NATM).
26.455 km
(Hakkōda Tunnel)
Hakkoda Tunnel, Japan. Photo: Wikimedia Commons The railway tunnel, with a total length of 26,445 kilometers (16,432 miles), is located in northern Japan in the central Aomori Prefecture. It extends across the Hakkyoda Range and links the village of Tenmabayashi with the city of Aomori.
The Hakkoda Tunnel is part of the Tohoku Shinkansen Northern Line and is located between Shichino-Budawa and Shin Aomori stations. Preliminary work on the tunnel began in August 1998. On February 27, 2005, it surpassed the Iwate-Ichinoe Tunnel of the same Tohoku Shinkansen line to become the world's longest surface tunnel. After just two months, this title was taken away from him by the Swiss Lötschberg Tunnel, which lost this title thanks to the Gotthard Base Tunnel that opened in 2016. However, the Lötschberg Tunnel is mostly single-track, while the Gotthard Base Tunnel is double-track, which is why it remains the longest double-track single-pipe surface railway tunnel in the world.
The tunnel began operating in 2010.
4. New Guan Jiao Tunnel, China - 32.645 km
(New Guanjiao Tunnel)
New Guan Jiao Tunnel, China. Photo: Wikimedia Commons This double-pipe railway tunnel is located on Line 2 of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway in GuanJiao Mountains, Qinghai Province. The total length of the tunnel is 32,645 km (20,285 mi), making it the longest railway tunnel in China.
The China Railway First Survey and Design Institute was responsible for the design of the tunnel. The new Guan Jiao Tunnel was designed for two parallel single-track tunnels with travel speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour (99 mph). The total duration of construction was 5 years. The tunnel was built in difficult geological conditions and at high altitude, exceeding 3,300 meters (10,800 ft) above sea level. Work on its construction began in 2007 and was completed in April 2014. The tunnel was opened on December 28, 2014.
The northeastern portal of the tunnel (37.1834°N 99.1778°E) is located in Tianjun County, the southwestern portal (37.0094°N 98.8805°E) is located in Wulan County.
3. Eurotunnel / Channel Tunnel, UK-France - 50 km
(Channel Tunnel)
Eurotunnel, UK-France. Photo: 4plebs.org Connecting the UK to mainland Europe (portals to Folkestone, Kent and Pas de Calais in northern France), the tunnel has the world's longest underwater section at 37.9 kilometers (23.5 miles).
Despite the fact that this tunnel is a miracle of the modern era, the idea for its construction belongs to the French engineer Albert Mathieu, who in 1802 proposed to build a tunnel under the English Channel. His plans included creating artificial island in the middle of the canal, where horse-drawn carriages could stop for maintenance.
“This is a megaproject. It has revolutionized the geography of Europe and helped cement high-speed rail as a viable alternative to short-haul flights,” said Matt Sykes, tunnel expert and director of engineering firm Arup.
Interesting fact : despite the fact that both the British and the French began work on creating the tunnel at the same time, the former did more work.
53,850 km
(Seikan Tunnel)
Seikan Tunnel, Japan. Photo: Bmazerolles / Wikimedia Commons A unique feature of Japan's Seikan Tunnel is that its 23.3 kilometers (14.2 miles) section lies 140 meters (460 feet) below sea level. Until the Gotthard Base Tunnel was built, Seikan was the longest and deepest railway tunnel in the world.
It spans the Tsugaru Strait, connecting Aomori Prefecture on the island of Honshu with the island of Hokkaido. Work on the tunnel began in 1964 and was completed in 1988.
Interesting fact: In 1976, construction workers stumbled upon an area of soft rock, causing water to rush into the tunnel at a rate of 80 tons per minute. The leak was neutralized only two months later.
57 km
(Gotthard Base Tunnel)
Gotthard Base Tunnel, Switzerland. Photo: Matthieu Gafsou / www.time.com European leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and former French President Francois Hollande, attended the opening ceremony of the magnificent Gotthard Base Tunnel in June 2016, which featured colorful surreal scenes featuring costumed dancers, songs and fireworks.
Located at a depth of 2,300 meters (7,545 feet, almost 1.5 miles), the tunnel cuts travel time between Zurich, Switzerland and Milan by an hour.
The 57-kilometer tunnel runs between the towns of Erstfeld in the north and Bodio in the south. According to the Swiss Travel System, trains reaching speeds of up to 250 kilometers per hour (155 mph) complete the journey in 20 minutes.
Commercial operation of the tunnel began on December 11. On this day the first regular passenger train left Zurich at 06:09 local time and arrived in Lugano at 08:17.
The Gotthard Base Tunnel took the title of the longest railway tunnel in the world from the 53.9-kilometer northern Japanese Seikan Tunnel and pushed the 50.5-kilometer tunnel between Great Britain and France into third place.
Interesting fact: during the construction of the tunnel, 3,200 kilometers of copper cable were used, the length of which would be enough from Madrid to Moscow.
