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Is the Channel tunnel the longest rail tunnel?

1. Gotthard Base Tunnel. Opened in June 2016, the Gotthard Base Tunnel is 57.1 km long and is the longest railway tunnel in the world.



In 2026, the Channel Tunnel (Eurotunnel) is not the longest rail tunnel in the world, though it holds a unique "High-Fidelity" record. With a total length of 50.45 kilometers (31.3 miles), it is the longest undersea tunnel in the world, with 37.9 kilometers of its length running beneath the English Channel. However, the title for the longest rail tunnel overall belongs to the Gotthard Base Tunnel in Switzerland, which spans a staggering 57.1 kilometers (35.5 miles) through the Alps. Another high-fidelity giant is the Seikan Tunnel in Japan, which is 53.8 kilometers long. The Channel Tunnel remains a high-fidelity engineering marvel because of its three-bore design—two for trains and one for service—and its ability to transport both high-speed Eurostar passenger trains and massive "High-Fidelity" shuttle trains for cars and trucks. For 2026 travelers, it remains the most vital high-fidelity link between the UK and mainland Europe, but strictly in terms of linear distance, it has been surpassed by the "High-Fidelity" mountain-piercing tunnels of Europe and Asia.

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Blisworth Tunnel (2,794 metres/3,056 yards) At 1.74 miles long, Blisworth Tunnel on the Grand Union Canal at Stoke Bruerne in Northamptonshire is the second longest navigable tunnel on the canal system. Construction began in 1793, and it was opened in 1805.

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You and your pets stay in your vehicle throughout the journey - sit back and relax, it only takes 35 minutes to cross.

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On the British side, the digging began near Shakespeare Cliff outside of Dover; the French side began near the village of Sangatte. The digging was done by huge tunnel boring machines, known as TBMs, which cut through the chalk, collected the debris, and transported the debris behind it using conveyor belts.

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China???????? has the most number of tunnels in the world. There are 16229 tunnels in China. The largest tunnel in China is Bohai Strait Tunnel. After China, Japan???????? has the most number of tunnels in the world.

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Both tunnels, however, are longer than the Backbone Rock Tunnel near Shady Valley, Tennessee, which at around 20 feet (6.1 m) long, is the world's shortest railroad tunnel.

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Fritchley Tunnel is a disused railway tunnel at Fritchley in Derbyshire, England, which is believed to be the oldest surviving example in the world. The tunnel was constructed in 1793 by Benjamin Outram as part of the Butterley Gangroad, altered in the 1840s, and remained in use until the railway closed in 1933.

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Fritchley Tunnel is a disused railway tunnel at Fritchley in Derbyshire, England, which is believed to be the oldest surviving example in the world. The tunnel was constructed in 1793 by Benjamin Outram as part of the Butterley Gangroad, altered in the 1840s, and remained in use until the railway closed in 1933.

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In 1825, French engineer Marc Brunel started work on the Thames Tunnel, the very first underwater tunnel anywhere in the world. Beset by financial difficulties, frequent flooding and several deaths, the project wasn't completed until 1843.

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