A German company, considered a world leader in tunnel-boring machinery, discussed on Monday how 21st-century technology can make the proposed north-south rail link economically viable in Boston.

Herrenknecht AG has played a role in major tunnel projects around the world, including the Gotthard Base Tunnel, a 35-mile-long train passage through the Swiss Alps that is the world’s deepest and longest of its kind.

Two Herrenknecht officials, including its chief engineer, Werner Burger, addressed the North South Rail Link Working Group along with elected and former elected officials at the State House.