The world’s longest railway tunnel – 53.85 km long with a 23.3 km long portion under the seabed – has connected Japanese islands of Honshu and Hokkaido. The track level is 100 m below the seabed and 240 m under the sea level of Tsugaru Strait. Arduous working conditions claimed the lives of 66 workers. The traffic was launched in March 1988. However, it would not be long till Seikan’s record is broken, as Gotthard Base Tunnel (GBT) 57 km long was to be put into operation in Switzerland in 2017. Moreover, if service and passenger ways are added to the railway tunnel, the length of Gotthard will go beyond 150 km.