WATCH: The world’s longest tunnel opens in Switzerland

Erstfeld - When it officially opens, the Gotthard will surpass Japan's 53.9-kilometre Seikan tunnel as the world's longest train tunnel.

The world’s longest tunnel officially opened on Wednesday, with the trailblazing rail passage under the Swiss Alps aiming to ease transit through the heart of Europe.
With political unity on the continent shaken by a massive influx of migrants and the looming threat of Britain’s EU departure, Swiss president Johan Schneider-Amman said the tunnel would “join the people and the economies” of Europe.
He spoke before the 57-kilometre (35-mile) Gotthard Base Tunnel (GBT) made its ceremonial first run with European leaders on board.
The passengers included German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.
While the tunnel was entirely funded by non-EU member Switzerland, the bloc’s transport commissioner Violeta Bulc has hailed it as “a godsend” for the continent.
It runs from Erstfeld in the central canton of Uri, to Bodio in the southern Ticino canton. 
Travel through the Alpine region, by rail or by road, requires taking a zigzag and undulating route.
Switzerland's 57-kilometre (35-mile) Gotthard Base Tunnel runs under the Alps from Erstfeld in the central canton of Uri, to Bodio in the southern Ticino canton.
The rough design for a rail tunnel under the Gotthard Pass was first sketched by Swiss engineer Carl Eduard Gruner in 1947.
WATCH: The journey through the Gotthard Base Tunnel
 
But bureaucratic delays, concerns over the cost and other hurdles pushed back the start of construction until 1999.
Seventeen years and more than 12 billion Swiss francs ($12 billion, 11 billion euros) later, the Gotthard Base Tunnel is set for its inaugural journey.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, along with Swiss officials, are due to be on board for the ceremonial first run.
When the full service opens in December, the tunnel will shave the train journey from Zurich to Milan in northern Italy down to two hours and 40 minutes, roughly an hour less than it currently takes.Image courtesy: BBC
The new route also aims to make rail freight more efficient - partly by supporting heavier cargo, which should reduce the number of diesel-guzzling lorries on the roads, improving traffic and curbing pollution.
The number of daily rail passengers is expected to increase from the current rate of 9,000 people to 15,000 by 2020, according to the Swiss federal railway service.
European Union transport commissioner Violeta Bulc last week described the new tunnel as a "godsend for Europe" which will serve as a "a vital link connecting Rotterdam (and) Antwerp with the ports of the Adriatic".
The Gotthard project was largely made possible by technical advances in tunnel-boring machines, which replaced the costly and dangerous blast-and-drill method.
WATCH: Animation tunnel drilling machine - Gotthard Base Tunnel
 
The primary machine used to make the Gotthard tunnel was roughly 410-metres long and functioned like a mobile factory.
It cuts through rock and throws the debris backwards while simultaneously placing the pre-formed segments of concrete that form the shape of the tunnel.
A separate system grouts the pieces together.
According to the Swiss rail service, it took 43,800 hours of non-stop work by 125 labourers rotating in three shifts to lay the tunnel's slab track.

When it officially opens, the Gotthard will surpass Japan's 53.9-kilometre Seikan tunnel as the world's longest train tunnel.
The 50.5-kilometre Channel Tunnel that links England and France will be bumped into third place.