3889View

RESTRICTIONS: NONE For story suggestions please contact tips@nextanimation.com.tw The world’s longest and most expensive railway tunnel opens on Wednesday in Switzerland. The Gotthard Base Tunnel originates in Erstfeld in the canton of Uri and ends in Bodio in the canton of Tessin. Stretching 57 kilometers long, it will overtake Japan’s Seikan Tunnel and the Channel Tunnel between England and France as the world’s longest. At 2.3km under the Alps, it will also be the deepest railway tunnel in the world. The tunnel uses a system of two one-way tracks, linked by emergency escape routes. Trains travel on an almost entirely flat track and are able to reach maximum speeds of 250 kilometers per hour. The tunnel will cut the train journey time between Zurich and Milan by one hour to just about three hours. The tunnel will be also used for freight trains. About 260 freight trains will be able to use the tunnel per day, compared to a maximum of 180 trains using the current route. It is hoped that the tunnel will reduce the Alpine road traffic and consequently reduce CO2 emissions. RUNDOWN SHOWS: 1. Location of the Gotthard Base Tunnel 2. Depth of the tunnel 3. The tunnel’s two one-way tracks 4. Depiction of the waterproof technology of the tunnel vault 5. Train travels on a flat track at a top speed of 250 km per hour 6. The tunnel will reduce travel time from Zurich to Milan to three hours 7. 260 freight trains will use the tunnel per day, compared to 180 using the old route 8. Reduction of Alpine road traffic and CO2 emissions 9. The Gotthard Base Tunnel is the longest in the world; Japan’s Seikan tunnel is the second longest and the Channel tunnel is the third longest VOICEOVER (in English): “The Gotthard Base Tunnel originates in Erstfeld in Switzerland’s Uri canton and ends in Bodio in the canton of Tessin.” “The tunnel sits 2.3km under the Alps, making it the deepest railway tunnel in the world.” “The tunnel uses a system of two one-way tracks, linked by emergency escape routes.” “The tunnel’s vault was covered with concrete and waterproof material, which allow water in the Alps to flow down inside the walls. The water is channelled out through pipes beneath the railway tracks.” “Trains travel on an almost entirely flat track and are able to reach maximum speeds of 250 kilometers per hour.” “The tunnel will cut the train journey time between Zurich and Milan by one hour to just about three hours.” “The tunnel will be also used for freight trains. About 260 freight trains will be able to use the tunnel per day, which is more than the 180 maximum on the current route.” “It is also hoped that the tunnel will reduce Alpine road traffic and consequently reduce CO2 emissions.” “The 57-km tunnel is the world’s longest, overtaking Japan’s Seikan Tunnel and the Channel Tunnel between England and France.” SOURCES: Gottardo 2016, DW, The Telegraph, The Guardian, Swiss Info, Siemens http://www.gottardo2016.ch/en http://www.dw.com/en/the-worlds-longest-rail-tunnel-the-gotthard-base-tunnel/a-19293039 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/rail-journeys/inside-the-gotthard-base-tunnel/ http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/31/worlds-longest-tunnel-to-open-in-switzerland http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/alptransit_engineers-meet-challenge-of-gotthard-tunnel/40792690 http://www.siemens.com/press/en/feature/2014/corporate/2014-06-gotthard-tunnel.php *** For story suggestions please contact tips@nextanimation.com.tw For technical and editorial support, please contact: Asia: +61 2 93 73 1841 Europe: +44 20 7542 7599 Americas and Latam: +1 800 738 8377 ----------------------------------------­­---------------------------------------­-­---------------- Next Animation Studio’s News Direct service provides daily, high-quality, informative 3D news animations that fill in for missing footage and help viewers understand breaking news stories or in-depth features on science, technology, and health. Sign up for a free trial of News Direct's news animations at http://newsdirect.nextanimation.com.tw/Reuters.aspx To subscribe to News Direct or for more info, please visit: http://newsdirect.nextanimation.com.tw/Index.aspx