Which European country is home to the world's longest railway tunnel?

Switzerland is home to the world’s longest railway tunnel, the Gotthard Base Tunnel. It runs for 57.09 kilometres beneath the Swiss Alps, linking the cantons of Uri and Ticino along the important north–south Gotthard rail route.

The tunnel opened in 2016 after 17 years of construction. It consists of two parallel single-track tubes, connected by cross-passages and supported by multifunction stations at Sedrun and Faido. Its low, nearly level route allows trains to cross the Alps more efficiently than older mountain railways.

The Gotthard Base Tunnel is also the world’s deepest traffic tunnel, with as much as 2,450 metres of rock above it. Passenger trains normally operate at up to 200 km/h, while freight trains use the same corridor. A common mix-up is the older Gotthard Tunnel, which opened in 1882 and is only about 15 kilometres long. The base tunnel replaced it as the record-holder and dramatically shortened trans-Alpine journey times.