Switzerland has a dense network of roads and railways. The Swiss public transportation network has a total length of 24,500 kilometers and has more than 2600 stations and stops. The crossing of the Alps is an important route for European transport, as the Alps separate Northern Europe from Southern Europe. Alpine railway routes began in 1882 with the Gotthard Railway with its central Gotthard Rail Tunnel. In response to the increasing need for transportation capacity and the cost of ground surface infrastructures, an underground transport system has been proposed and studied. The trains would use linear motor and magnetic levitation to reach speeds about 500 km per hour. The project is not likely to be realized in the near future, but a license for application has been deposited for a trial line between Geneva and Lausanne.