World’s longest rail tuel opens in Switzerland

The Gotthard rail tuel through the Alps, 24 years in the making, has opened to great fanfare from across Europe as it further coects the continent. Two separate celebrations are being held at each end of the tuel, with visiting heads of state and dignitaries in attendance.

The tuel was opened by Swiss President Joha Schneider-Amma. Speaking from the north portal in Rynächt, canton Uri, the visibly proud minister said: "Today is an historic day for our country: We have completed the Gotthard Base Tuel, an epic feat of engineering, a project that has involved generations, from the first sketches, to the plaing and construction of the tuel. I feel extremely proud, but also quite humble."

Transport Minister Doris Leuthard, from the south portal at Pollegio in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino, added that the tuel was "also a symbol of opeess and progress", that linked different languages, cultures, and peoples. It also strengthened cohesion in Switzerland and Europe and boosted the economy, she said.

Later, speaking with swissinfo.ch, she grew emotional, saying it is "proof that Switzerland can achieve something".

At 12:18 pm the first two trains from each portal set off on their jouey through the tuel. At 12:50 pm the trains arrived at the other end of the tuel to a volley of whistles and much applause and cheers from onlookers.

There were around 500 people on board the first joueys. They won a competition to gain their seats.

Here is a first look at what it's like inside.

Who's there?

The event has attracted a lot of inteational interest. Germany’s Angela Merkel, France's François Hollande, Italy’s Matteo Renzi and the new Austrian chancellor Christian Ke are in attendance.

The Italian Ambassador in Be captured on camera Merkel, Hollande, Renzi and Schneider-Amman sharing a first-class four-seater.

In what has been seen as many as a surprise move, top European Union officials such as Donald Tusk, the President of the European Council, as well as the heads of the commission and parliament, have stayed away. The EU was represented by EU Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc.

Switzerland is in the midst of difficult negotiations with the EU over immigration issues, and Schneider-Amma said on Wednesday that "the same worldview being expressed here today" is needed to resolve them.

"I'm convinced that we can meet these great challenges," the Swiss president and economics minister said. "We need to shape the future together."

And the world has been watching - joualists from as far away as China, Kuwait, Turkey and Japan are in attendance for the day's events, among a press pool of around 300 total. About one-third of them come from abroad.

Europe’s more efficient rerouting of freight through the new Gotthard tuel – the main reason for its construction – won’t happen oveight. Italy plans to have its three major access routes to the tuel ready by 2020, but in Germany, the necessary network expansion could take up to 20 years.

On Wednesday, Angela Merkel said at the Gotthard event that "we know we're delayed" in building out transport routes over the Rhine valley that would eventually link Italy and Germany.

"The Gotthard is the heart, now the aorta is just missing," she said.

But the German chancellor added the tuel's dramatic opening had inspired her country to make it happen.

"This is a great day that links the North with the South," she said.

The grand opening

Major celebrations took the form of a group of 600 actors taking part in a theatre performance about the legend of the Gotthard and the new tuel. Here's a scene from the opening ceremony.

Alphos, army musicians and local choirs also performed during the celebrations.

The Gotthard event kicked off at 8:30am with an official blessing of the tuel. But that ceremony was not without controversy: originally, an inter-faith group of religious leaders was set to take part including an Imam, a Rabbi, a non-denominational representative and a Catholic priest representing the Christian faith. But after former cabinet member Adolf Ogi spoke out about the fact that no Protestant representative was to take part, divisions emerged among Switzerland's Christian community. In the end, a Catholic priest, a pastor, a Rabbi and an Imam were present for this moing's ceremony.

We’ll have more as it happens. In the meantime, some essential facts about the tuel and why it’s captivated the whole of Europe:

And more about just how much time, money and manpower went into the project:

swissinfo.ch and agencies