Switzerland has opened the world’s longest and deepest railway tunnel, 17 years after starting work on the project. The Gotthard Railway Tunnel is 57 kilometers long. Trains passing through it will be about 2.3 kilometers underground at the deepest point. The tunnel cost $12 billion to build under the Alps of central Switzerland. The tunnel will reduce the time it takes trains to travel between northern and southern Europe. It is also expected to lower the number of vehicles on roads, and move cargo between north and south. Many large trucks now carry goods through Europe. The trucks pollute the air. The two-way tunnel opens for commercial service in December. When that happens, up to 260 freight trains and 65 passenger trains will be able to pass through it every day. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi were at the opening ceremony on Wednesday.
Title: Switzerland Opens World’s Longest, Deepest Rail Tunnel
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1118/rail_audio.m4a' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Switzerland Opens Worlds Longest, Deepest Rail Tunnel' data-article-id='1613'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='10583'>Switzerland has opened the world’s longest and deepest railway tunnel, 17 years after starting work on the project.</span> <span data-start-time='10583' data-end-time='16750'>The Gotthard Railway Tunnel is 57 kilometers long.</span> <span data-start-time='16750' data-end-time='26958'>Trains passing through it will be about 2.3 kilometers underground at the deepest point.</span> <span data-start-time='26958' data-end-time='35271'>The tunnel cost $12 billion to build under the Alps of central Switzerland.</span> <span data-start-time='35271' data-end-time='44250'>The tunnel will reduce the time it takes trains to travel between northern and southern Europe.</span> <span data-start-time='44250' data-end-time='53979'>It is also expected to lower the number of vehicles on roads, and move cargo between north and south.</span> <span data-start-time='53979' data-end-time='59167'>Many large trucks now carry goods through Europe.</span> <span data-start-time='59167' data-end-time='62125'>The trucks pollute the air.</span> <span data-start-time='62125' data-end-time='68000'>The two-way tunnel opens for commercial service in December.</span> <span data-start-time='68000' data-end-time='82146'>When that happens, up to 260 freight trains and 65 passenger trains will be able to pass through it every day.</span> <span data-start-time='82146' data-end-time='94896'>German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi were at the opening ceremony on Wednesday.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1118/swit_img.jpg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=6415 data-hint-location='26958' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1118/the_tunnel_travels_under_the__blank_.m4a'>The tunnel travels under the <span class='blank'>Alps</span>.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='Alps'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1118/rockies.m4a'><span>Rockies</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1118/ocean.m4a'><span>ocean</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1118/alps.m4a'><span>Alps</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1118/capital.m4a'><span>capital</span></div></div></div><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=6416 data-hint-location='35271' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1118/what_does_tunnel_mean.m4a'>What does tunnel mean?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='a passage that goes under the ground'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1118/the_main_idea.m4a'><span>the main idea</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1118/a_passage_that_goes_under_the_ground.m4a'><span>a passage that goes under the ground</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1118/concerned_with_earning_money.m4a'><span>concerned with earning money</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1118/the_buying_and_selling_of_goods.m4a'><span>the buying and selling of goods</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=6417 data-hint-location='0' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1118/what_country_opened_the_longest_railway_tunnel.m4a'>What country opened the longest railway tunnel?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='Switzerland'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1118/switzerland.m4a'><span>Switzerland</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1118/france.m4a'><span>France</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1118/germany.m4a'><span>Germany</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1118/sweden.m4a'><span>Sweden</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button 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