It will be useful to find out which of the railway tunnels is the longest and which 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 longest railway tunnel is the unique Gotthard Tunnel in Switzerland. Its construction has been going on since 1999 - almost seventeen years, although the first sketch appeared in 1947. On June 1, 2016, the authorities announced that the tunnel will be ready for commissioning after it undergoes serious tests that will last until December 2016.Engineering construction paved the way under a mountain pass called Saint Gotthard. The length of the tunnel is fifty-seven kilometers, and if you count both shafts, as well as auxiliary passages and mines, you get 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 of high-speed trains while passing through this underground tunnel will be about 250 kilometers per hour, and freight trains will develop a speed of at least 160 kilometers.
The tunnel is built so that trains can move in the opposite direction along different trunks. Emergency mines and emergency stations will be provided. Of the existing railway tunnels, the longest is the Seikan Tunnel 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 to unload the capital's roads, and they 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 Avenue. 
Thanks to this construction, there was no need to pave a road along Serebryany Bor. The tunnel has three tiers. The subway trains move along the lower tier, motor 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.
One of the longest metropolitan tunnels for a long time was the Lefortovsky tunnel. Its length is two kilometers one hundred and fifty meters. So far, the Serebryanoborskiy tunnel remains the longest, but it will not remain the longest, since there are plans to build several more tunnels, among which there will be one whose length will exceed four kilometers.
The longest tunnel in Russia
It is interesting to find out the details about the longest tunnel in Russia. The Gyumrinsky tunnel, which is a road 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 an important role, since with its help, residents of mountainous regions get to Makhachkala in just two to three hours.
Construction began in the seventies, but in the nineties the laying was suspended. 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 eighty-five meters. It has operational ventilation, automatic fire alarm, television surveillance, loudspeaker warning and burglar alarm. A completely unique seismic laboratory has also been installed there, which is capable of informing about seismic activity both in this region and beyond. The equipment for this laboratory was specially ordered from Italy.
The longest tunnel in the world
Since the tunnels are different, we can name the most long tunnels of each kind. So the "champion" among automobile tunnels is the Lerdal tunnel. It is located in Norway and is twenty-four and a half kilometers long. 
But the Delaware Aqueduct is considered to be the longest water tunnel. Since 1945, it has been he who has provided New York with water. Its length is as much as one hundred thirty-seven kilometers.
The longest railway tunnel was the Japanese Seikan for a long time. But soon, traffic will begin along another already built tunnel, which is almost three kilometers longer than the Japanese one - this is the Gotthard Tunnel, laid in Switzerland under a mountain pass. Its length is fifty-seven kilometers.
The longest metro tunnel is located in Guangzhou city. 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 named Sanliurfa. Its task is to distribute the water of the Euphrates River in such a way as to turn the nearby desert lands into fruitful farms. It consists of two main tunnels, twenty-six kilometers four hundred meters each. Among reclamation systems, this is an absolute record.
Not only tunnels, but also bridges are of interest. For example, according to the site, the longest railway bridge in the world is 164.8 kilometers long. You can read more about this.
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March 1, 1880and the construction of a railway tunnel at the pass Saint Gotthard in Switzerland - the most complex engineering structure of those times, which became a symbol of the subordination of nature by man. And today we will tell you about a few the greatest and most significant tunnels in the world - from the already mentioned Saint Gotthard in the Alps to the Marmaray line under the Bosphorus, which opened in October 2013, each of which marked a new milestone in the development of their country.
Gotthard Tunnel. Switzerland
The Saint Gotthard pass in the Alps is known in Russia for the feat of the commander Alexander Suvorov, who crossed it with great difficulty and losses in the fall of 1799. And in 1880, it became much easier to overcome the mountains in this area, because there was completed the construction of a 15-kilometer railway tunnel, one of the most famous similar structures in the world. It greatly simplified the movement of goods across Europe, and also became one of the keys to the economic prosperity of Switzerland.
In 1980, not far from the century-old railway tunnel, a 16.9-kilometer automobile tunnel was also opened. And now an even larger structure is under construction at the Saint Gotthard Pass - a 57-kilometer railway tunnel, which will become the longest in the world after its commissioning in 2017.
Seikan Tunnel. Japan
In 1954, there was tragic event - during an unprecedented storm in the Sangar Strait between the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido, five passenger ferries sank, resulting in the death of more than a thousand people. And this was far from the first such disaster in this place - ships plying between the two largest Japanese islands died regularly for centuries. To finally solve this problem, the Japanese government decided to build a tunnel under the strait.
Work on this structure began in 1964 and lasted for over twenty years. Opened in 1988, the 54-kilometer Seikan became the longest railway tunnel in the world and still holds this record.
In 1988, about 3 million passengers used the services of the Sangarsky tunnel, in 1999 - 2 million, and in 2009 - just over a million. For comparison, the annual volume of passenger traffic between Honshu and Hokkaido is dozens of times higher. But this tunnel has no worthy competitors as a freight road.
Eurotunnel. France-UK
It's hard to believe, but the idea of \u200b\u200bbuilding a tunnel between France and Great Britain appeared in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, and Napoleon Bonaparte himself was the “customer” of the project. But real progress in this direction began only after the Second World War, and the construction itself started only in December 1987.
The grand opening of the Eurotunnel took place on May 6, 1994 with the participation of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and French President Jacques Chirac. Tunnels (three in total: two transport and one technical) are used as railway tunnels - high-speed trains TGV Eurostar and Eurotunnel Shuttle run on both sides, connecting London with Paris and Brussels. The Eurotunnel accounts for 67% of passenger traffic between France and England.
Lerdal tunnel. Norway
The Lerdal Tunnel, built in Norway in 1995-2000, can be called the most beautiful such engineering structure on the planet. Moreover, this is the longest car tunnel in the world, because its length is 24.5 kilometers.
In order to diversify the route of movement at least a little and relieve the stress of the drivers, the architects who worked on the Lerdal tunnel divided it into four approximately equal parts with three artificial caves. Each of these grottoes has its own lighting color, which gives this engineering facility originality and beauty. In these caves, you can also stop by parking in special sedimentation tanks and have a little rest.
Øresund bridge. Denmark, Sweden
It is not entirely logical that a bridge connecting two Scandinavian countries, Denmark and Norway, was included in the list of the world's greatest tunnels. But there is no mistake in this fact, because out of almost 12 kilometers of the length of this structure, 4050 meters pass underground.
The architects of the Øresund Bridge made such an extraordinary decision for the reason that it is in this place that the glide path of planes bound for Copenhagen airport passes, and it cannot be blocked. And ships sailing through the Øresund Strait also need space for successful navigation.
Severomuisky tunnel. Russia
On December 5, 2003, a historic event for all of Russia took place in Buryatia - the Severomuisky tunnel with a length of 15 kilometers 343 meters was opened there. It became not only the longest in Russia, but also marked the end of the construction of the Baikal-Amur Mainline, the legendary BAM - one of the the greatest construction projects Soviet times.
The construction of the Baikal-Amur Mainline began in 1938, in 1974 it was declared an all-Union shock Komsomol construction site, songs and films were written about it, and it was completed in the estimated volume only in 2003. When BAM was created, 10 tunnels were pierced, the largest and the most important of which was Severomuisky.
Marmaray. Turkey
In October 2013, an event happened that Mankind dreamed of for centuries, but did not believe in the reality of which until the very last moment. The Marmaray railway tunnel was opened in Istanbul, connecting the European and Asian shores of the Bosphorus.
After the opening, Marmaray was integrated into the Istanbul metro system as a separate line. It is also planned to be used for transcontinental freight and passenger traffic - the tunnel will become part of a global railway project to create a single track infrastructure from the UK to South Korea.
Image copyright AFP Image caption This photo was taken on October 15, 2010. Workers stand at a huge tunnel shield, with the help of which the tunnel was built
The world's longest and deepest Gotthard railway tunnel opens in Switzerland today. It took almost 20 years and more than $ 12 billion to build it.
Its permanent operation will begin in December.
Swiss authorities say the tunnel will revolutionize the transport of goods in Europe. Goods, which are now transported by millions of trucks every year, will be transported by rail.
This technological miracle will provide faster and easier communication between southern and northern Europe. The tunnel will speed up the movement of goods and people and reduce pollution environment exhaust gases from cars.
The Swiss authorities predict that 260 freight trains will be able to pass through the tunnel per day. 20 million passengers a year will be able to use the new highway. Travel time from Zurich to Milan will be reduced to 2 hours 50 minutes.
Conquering the Alps as part of self-identification
Until now, the Japanese Seikan, 53.9 km long, with a 23.3 km long underwater fragment, was considered the world's longest railway tunnel.
Image copyright Reuters Image caption The Gotthard Tunnel runs under the Alps - the maximum height of the mountains above the tunnel is 2300 metersThe Gotthard Tunnel is also ahead of the length of the Channel Tunnel, which is 50.5 km long.
It is not only the longest tunnel in the world, it is also the deepest railway tunnel in existence: the maximum height of the mountains above the tunnel is 2300 meters. Without a powerful ventilation system, the temperature in it would reach +40 degrees.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President François Hollande will be present at the opening ceremony of the tunnel in Switzerland, along with Swiss officials.
"This is part of Swiss identity," Reuters quoted Peter Fueglistaler, head of the Swiss Federal Department of Transport, as quoted by Reuters.
“For us, conquering the Alps is like exploring the oceans for the Dutch,” he said.
Tunnel cost: $ 12 billion and 9 lives
The project, which cost more than $ 12 billion to build, was approved by the Swiss in a 1992 referendum.
Image copyright EPA Image caption 20 million passengers a year will be able to use the new highwayDuring the construction of the tunnel, engineers excavated 73 different types of rocks: some were as hard as granite, others as soft as sugar. Nine workers died during construction.
Completed on time and on budget, the Gotthard Tunnel will become the main railway linking Rotterdam in the Netherlands with italian Genoa... The tunnel, consisting of two parallel tunnels, runs from the municipality of Bodio in southern Switzerland to the municipality of Erstfeld in the center of the country.
From December, when permanent operation of the tunnel begins, the journey from Zurich to Milan will take two hours and forty minutes - an hour less than usual.
The money to finance the project was taken from budgetary revenues from fuel taxes and value added taxes, and another part of the funds was a state loan, which must be paid over 10 years.
Representatives of the Swiss bank Credit Suisse said that among the economic benefits of the Gotthard Tunnel are simplified transportation of goods and an influx of tourists.
Tunnels have always been considered indispensable structures for safe passage or passage underground. But if earlier such architectural masterpieces helped people quietly penetrate the enemy's territory, today their construction is associated with other goals. At the same time, they differ among themselves in structure, location and length. Today we decided to tell you about the longest tunnels in the world.
The longest Japanese tunnel
The longest railway tunnel today is considered to be located in the Land of the Rising Sun. He is called Seikan, which in Japanese means "a majestic spectacle." The tunnel has a very impressive 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 a different 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 not currently used as often as it used to. According to analysts, this is due to an increase in the cost of travel by rail.
Seikan is a tunnel with a depth of 240 m. This wondrous creation of man is located under the well-known According to the idea of \u200b\u200bthe designers, the tunnel also unites Hokkaido.
Few people know that a typhoon, as a result of which 5 passenger ferries crashed, became a kind of impetus that led to the creation of this giant. As a result of this disaster, on board only one of them, over 1150 tourists, including crew members, died.
The world's longest and most land-based connection
The longest tunnels in the world can be roughly divided into the following types:
- overground;
- underground;
- automobile, or road;
- railway;
- underwater.
One of the longest ground tunnels is Lamberg, once built in Switzerland. Its length is 34 km. Trains can easily move along it, sometimes accelerating to a speed of 200 km / h. It is noteworthy that this building helps Swiss travelers to arrive in one of the most popular resort areas of the country - Valle in a couple of hours. According to experienced tourists, it is here that there are numerous thermal springs.
It is interesting that, in addition to its main task, Lamberg, like other longest tunnels in the world, 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 car subways
The longest road tunnel in the world is Lerdalsky. This 24.5 km long structure serves as a kind of connecting bridge between the municipalities of Ayrland and Lerdal, located in the western part of Norway. Moreover, the Lerdal tunnel is considered a continuation of the famous E16 highway, which is located between Bergen and Oslo.
The beginning of the construction of the famous tunnel was laid in mid-1995, and it ended closer to 2000. From that moment on, the building was recognized as one of the longest automobile subways, leaving behind the famous Gotthard Tunnel by as much as 8 km.
Interestingly, the building passes through the mountains, the height of which is higher than 1600 m. Thanks to the precise calculations of the architects, the experts managed to reduce the load on the drivers moving through the tunnel. And this was achieved by creating three additional grottoes, equidistant from each other. At the same time, these artificial caves divide the free space under the structure into four long sections. Here is such an unusual and longest tunnel in the world.
The third longest railway tunnel
The Eurotunnel is considered the third longest among other subways passing through the railway tracks. This structure runs under the English Channel and unites the UK with part of continental Europe. With its help, everyone can come from Paris to London in just a couple of hours. Inside the underground pipe, the train remains on average for 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 the modern wonders of the world. According to preliminary estimates, this longest tunnel in the world will become self-sufficient only after 1000 years.
Longest tunnel in the Alps
Another incredible underground corridor that has not lost ground 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 well-known Orient Express highway and affects one of the lines in the direction of Paris-Istanbul.
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
In the Alps there is also an unfinished one which is called a real monster of modern architectural buildings. This titanium, which is about 57 km long, is nestled in friendly Switzerland. According to the project developers themselves, the main goal of the tunnel is the safe passage of goods and passengers across the Alps. In addition, it can reduce the travel time from Zurich to Milan to two hours and fifty minutes on a three-hour journey.
And although the Gotthard Tunnel is not yet finished, it is already breaking records for the amount of money spent. To date, the construction of the underground corridor has cost its owners $ 10.3 billion, according to one foreign publication. The opening of one of the longest railway tunnels is planned for 2017.
The longest tunnels in the world: the underwater connection between Japan and South Korea
The South Korean government, together with the Japanese, has developed a plan to build a tunnel with a length of 182 km. This decision was made in order to increase trade and speed up transport links between the two countries. This project, according to experts, will be grandiose. 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 an accidental accident suddenly occurs.
The longest and most expensive tunnel in the world
The longest automobile tunnel, where you can see eight lanes of the highway at once, is the Big Boston. However, its amazing structure and design, undoubtedly, pales before 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 failed to meet this amount, so the additional daily costs amounted to about $ 3 million. Over 150 modern cranes were in operation during the construction of the Great Boston Tunnel. Moreover, more than 5,000 employees took part in the process itself.
The longest tunnel in all of Spain
Spain also boasts Guadarama, a long ground tunnel linking 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 aboveground buildings, among which there is the large Hakkoda railway tunnel. Its total length is about 26.5 km. Many years have passed since the opening of this building to the present day. Only now it continues to be one of the most unique spacious passages, along which two trains can pass at once.
Engineers and tunnellers have had to cut through many different types of rock, including granite and sedimentary rocks. About 80 percent of the work was done with huge drilling machines. The laying of the remaining 20 percent was carried out using explosive methods. In total, 31.1 million tons of rock were mined.
When the solid subrail began to be laid, the task required 125 workers who worked in three shifts over three years. This resulted in the use of 131,000 cubic meters of concrete, 290 kilometers of under-rail and 380,000 cross-beams (struts).
The tunnel connects the municipality of Erstfeld with the city of Bodio. 325 trains will pass through it daily, 260 of which will be freight (moving at a speed of 160 km / h), and the remaining 65 - passenger (moving at a speed of 200 km / h). Passenger train speeds are expected to increase over time and eventually become standard at 250 km / h. Thanks to this, travel between Zurich and Lugano, which are located in the northern and southern parts of Erstfeld and Bodio, respectively, will be shortened by about 45 minutes.
The official opening ceremony of the tunnel took place on June 1. Additional opening events are expected this weekend, which are likely to attract between 50,000 and 100,000 visitors. Commercial services will start operating here in December 2016.