Switzerland. Canton of Uri. Erstfeld. A SBB CFF FFS locomotive stands at the entrance to the Gotthard Base Tunnel. The powered rail vehicle is used for pulling trains. Two technicians from the AlpTransit Gotthard Ltd and a train operator talk together. The Gotthard Base Tunnel consists of two 57-kilometres-long single-track tubes. It links the north portal at Erstfeld (Canton of Uri) with the south portal at Bodio (Canton of Ticino). With a rock overburden of up to 2 300 metres, the Gotthard Base Tunnel is not only the world's longest, but also the world's deepest, railway tunnel constructed to date. The Gotthard Base Tunnel will be officially opened on June 1, 2016, and for scheduled commercial services in December 2016. The Gotthard Base Tunnel is a major technical implementation for a new railway line. With the New Rail Link through the Alps (NRLA), important goals of Swiss transport policy can be implemented: transfer of goods traffic from road to rail, and improvements with quicker travel in passenger trafic. 10.03.2016 © 2016 Didier Ruef