Lötschberg Tunnel is a railroad tunnel that cuts through the Bernese Alps of south-central Switzerland near the Jungfrau. The tunnel, which opened in 1913, is 9 miles (14.6 kilometers) long. It is part of the Swiss Lötschberg Railway, which is 46 miles (74 kilometers) long and connects Spiez and Brigue. Before the railroad reaches Kandersteg, the tunnel’s northern entrance, it crosses many bridges and viaducts and passes through 38 tunnels. At Goppenstein, the tunnel’s southern end, the railroad descends into the Rhône Valley, where it connects with the Simplon Tunnel leading into northern Italy.
In the 1990’s, work began on another railroad tunnel that cuts through the Alps at a much lower altitude than the existing Lötschberg Tunnel. The 21.5-mile (34.6-kilometer) Lötschberg Base Tunnel opened in 2007. It runs from Frutigen to Raron.
