The top 10 longest railway tunnels in the world
- Pinnacle Team
- Sep 4
- 2 min read
The history of railway construction is a collection of human wisdom and technological advancements. The process of finding ways for primitive railways to overcome nature's roughness is like a dialogue between humans and nature, where technological progress has always played a crucial role. Initially, a zigzagging approach to climb and descend mountains was the main solution for railway construction. But over time, tunneling technology emerged, opening a new path to overcome these challenges.
Early tunneling techniques, such as the cut-and-cover method, were vital for early railway projects like the London Underground. However, this technique was soon replaced by more complex and efficient methods. Drilling and blasting techniques to bore through rock opened up new horizons in tunnel construction, which contributed greatly to expanding the limits of engineering.
The invention of the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) brought a revolutionary change to railway tunnel construction. Invented by the engineering giant Marc Isambard Brunel, this machine remains one of the most important construction tools today. Thanks to the TBM, we can now build massive tunnels with a diameter of up to 17 meters, a length of over 150 meters, and a weight of several thousand tons.
Currently, the world's longest railway tunnel is the 57.5 km long Mont d'Ambin Base Tunnel, which crosses the Swiss Alps. However, massive projects like the Brenner Base Tunnel, the I-Gong Tunnel, and the Chinese Sejila Mountain Tunnel are underway and are expected to be completed within the next 10 years. This will reshuffle the rankings of the world's railway tunnels.
Even more surprisingly, projects like the Shanghai Airport Tunnel and the Pearl River Tunnel will be on the list of the world's longest railway tunnels in the short term. These projects light up the future of railway construction technology and show us how far we've come.
All of this is a product of humanity's endless spirit of challenge and innovation. The advancement of railway tunnel construction technology goes beyond mere transportation convenience, offering deep insights into how we can coexist harmoniously with nature. This technological progress presents a path of sustainable development for future generations, which is a valuable legacy we should all share.
February 29, 2024
