BEIJING, Oct. 30 (Xinhuanet) -- Turkey has opened the world’s first trans-continental underwater rail tunnel linking Asia and Europe.

The Marmaray tunnel was opened on Tuesday. The tunnel is over 13 kilometres in length, with 1-point-4 kilometres running under the Bosphorus Strait. The Strait connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara and divides Istanbul between Asia and Europe. Turkish officials say that at more than 55 meters deep, it is the deepest submerged railway tunnel of its type in the world.

It will transport over one million commuters per day between the continents in four minutes. Officials hope it will ease some of Istanbul’s chronic traffic, particularly over the two bridges that currently connect the two sides of the city. The project started in 2005, and was scheduled to be completed in four years, but was delayed by important archaeological finds.

(Source: CNTV.cn)