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Mont Cenis Tunnel




The Fréjus Rail Tunnel (also called '''Mont Cenis Tunnel''') is a railroad tunnel of 13.7 Km (8.5 Miles ) length in the European Alps , through Mount Cenis , connecting Modane , France and Bardonecchia , Italy . It passes beneath the '' Pointe Du Fréjus '' (2932 M ) and the '' Col De Fréjus '' (2542 m).

The initial gallery was 12.8 kilometers long, twice as much as the previously longest tunnel. Drilling started in August 1871 , thus making it the oldest of the large tunnels through the Alps. The gallery was extended to its present length in 1881 with a new reinforced entrance on the French side.

The construction, directed by opened in 1882 and the Simplon Tunnel in 1906.

From 1868 to 1871 , there was already a Railroad line in operation, going over the Pass ; it was primarily used to transport English Mail to India .

Today the Fréjus tunnel remains an important link in the connection between Rome and Paris , via Turin and Grenoble . Following the development of car and truck transportation, the Fréjus Road Tunnel was built along the same path from 1974 to 1980 . A future high-speed rail tunnel to improve transit capacity between France and Italy is being planned as part of the Lyon Turin Ferroviaire initiative.