On Wednesday 1 June 2016, 17 years after the first blast in the main shaft, the world’s longest railway tunnel will officially open. Measuring 57 kilometers, the Gotthard Base Tunnel (GBT) takes over from Seikan Tunnel in Japan as the world’s longest rail tunnel. The GBT will reinforce the Rhine-Alpine rail freight corridor, one of Europe’s most important north-south connections. Shorter journey times will bring the different areas of Switzerland and also Germany and Italy closer together. Up to 260 freight trains and 65 passenger trains a day will be able to pass through the tunnel. An opening ceremony befitting the grand scale of the project will present Swiss values such as innovation, precision and reliability to the world.

The tunnel will also bring Kosovo and the region closer to other countries in Europe, for mutual benefit.

For more information on the Gotthard Base Tunnel, please check the official TV spot or the official website

The first makerspace in Kosovo, BONEVET in Gjakova will dedicate an event to Gotthard during its European Maker Space Week, supported also by Switzerland. For more information on BONEVET and the initiative, click here