Switzerland opens world's longest tunnel

Switzerland opens the world's longest and deepest rail tunnel through the heart of the Alps on Wednesday in an engineering marvel that stands as a symbol of European unity at a time of increasing fragmentation, according to Reuters.

The 57.1-km (35.5 mile)-long Gotthard Base Tunnel, 17 years under construction and designed to last a century, is part of a 23 billion Swiss franc infrastructure project to speed passengers and cargo by rail under the mountain chain that divides Europe's north and south.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, and Swiss President Johann Schneider-Ammann were present at the grand opening.