Gotthard Base Tunnel

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Coordinates: 46°36′00″N 8°45′54″E / 46.600°N 8.765°E / 46.600; 8.765

Gotthard Base Tunnel
The Gotthard Base Tunnel and the Zimmerberg Base Tunnel are the northern part of the Gotthard axis of the Alptransit project
(yellow: major tunnels, red: existing main tracks, numbers: year of completion).
Overview
Line AlpTransit
Location Swiss Alps
Status Under construction
Start Erstfeld (Uri)
End Bodio (Ticino)
Operation
Work begun 1996
Opened Dec 2016 [1] (planned)
Owner Swiss Federal Railways
Operator Swiss Federal Railways
Traffic Train
Technical
Line length 57.104 km (35.483 mi) (east tunnel)
57.017 km (35.429 mi) (west tunnel)[2]
No. of tracks 2 single track tunnels[2]
Gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) (standard gauge)
Operating speed up to 250 km/h (160 mph)
Highest elevation 549 m (1,801 ft)[2]
Lowest elevation 312 m (1,024 ft) (at Bodio)[2]

The Gotthard Base Tunnel (GBT) is a new railway tunnel beneath the Swiss Alps, expected to open in 2016.[3] With a route length of 57 km (35.4 mi) and a total of 151.84 km (94.3 mi) of tunnels, shafts and passages,[2] it is the world's longest rail tunnel, surpassing the Japanese Seikan Tunnel.

Its main purpose is to increase total transport capacity across the Alps, especially for freight, notably between Germany and Italy, and more particularly to shift freight volumes from road to rail to reduce environmental damage caused by ever-increasing numbers of trucks. A secondary benefit will be to cut the journey time for passenger trains from Zürich to Milan by about an hour and from Zürich to Lugano to 1 hour 40 minutes.[4]

The project consists of two single-track tunnels. It is part of the AlpTransit project, also known as the New Railway Link through the Alps (NRLA), which includes the Lötschberg Base Tunnel between the cantons of Bern and Valais and the under construction (late 2019) Ceneri Base Tunnel to the south. It bypasses the Gotthardbahn, a winding mountain route opened in 1882 across the Saint-Gotthard Massif, which is now operating at capacity, and establishes a direct route usable by high-speed rail and heavy freight trains.[4]

After 64 percent of Swiss voters accepted the AlpTransit project in a 1992 referendum, tunnel construction began in 1996.[5] Boring operations in the eastern tunnel were completed on 15 October 2010 in a breakthrough ceremony broadcast live on Swiss TV,[6] and in the western tunnel on 23 March 2011. AlpTransit Gotthard Ltd. will hand over the tunnel to Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) in operating condition in December 2016.[7]

The two portals are near the villages of Erstfeld, Uri and Bodio, Ticino. Nearby are two other St. Gotthard Tunnels: the 1881 Gotthard Rail Tunnel and the 1980 Gotthard Road Tunnel.

Contents

[edit] Background

Intermodal train on the current Gotthardbahn in the Biaschina Gorge; truck on viaduct heading towards Gotthard road tunnel.

The route over Gotthard Pass (or through its tunnels) is one of the most important passages through the Alps on the north-south axis in Europe. Traffic has increased more than tenfold since 1980 and the existing tunnels are at their limits.[8] A second (Proposed) tunnel was only to be constructed if the volume of traffic rose above one million vehicles a year. In fact, The engineer Giovanni Lombardi, responsible for the construction of the road tunnel added, “one year after the inauguration, the tunnel was already seeing 2.5 million vehicles [today (Oct 23, 2011) - about six million] annually. But the promise was forgotten”[9]

To provide a faster and flatter passage through the Swiss Alps, the GBT cuts through the Gotthard massif some 600 m (1,969 ft) below the older tunnel. On the current track, the Gotthardbahn, only trains up to 1,400 short tons (1,300 t; 1,300 long tons)[10] when using two locomotives or up to 1,700 short tons (1,500 t; 1,500 long tons) with an additional bank engine at the end of the train are able to pass through the narrow mountain valleys and through spiral tunnels climbing up to the portals of the old tunnel at a height of 1,100 m (3,609 ft) above sea level.

When completed, standard freight trains of up to 4,000 short tons (3,600 t; 3,600 long tons) will be able to pass this natural barrier. Because of ever-increasing international truck traffic, the Swiss voted in February 1994 for a shift in transportation policy (Traffic Transfer Act, enacted in October 1999).

The goal of both the laws (and the goal of the GBT, which is one of the means by which the law will achieve its objective) is to transport trucks, trailers and freight containers to/from southern Germany and northern Italy by rail to relieve the overused roads (intermodal freight transport and so-called rolling highway where the entire truck is transported) and to meet the political requirement of shifting as much tonnage as possible from truck transport to train transport, as required by the 'Alpine Protection Act' of 1994.[11]

Passenger trains will be able to travel up to 250 km/h (155.3 mph) through the GBT, reducing travel times for trans-Alpine train journeys by 50 minutes – and by one hour once the adjacent Zimmerberg and Ceneri Base Tunnels are completed.

[edit] Construction

Gotthard Base Tunnel diagram, the new railway link through the Alps NRLA (green: → excavation direction).

AlpTransit Gotthard AG is responsible for construction. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB-CFF-FFS).

To cut construction time in half, four access tunnels were built so that construction could start at four (a fifth was added later) different sites simultaneously (Erstfeld, Amsteg, Sedrun, Faido and Bodio).

The two tunnels are joined approximately every 325 m (1,066 ft) by connecting galleries.

Trains can swap tunnels in the two multifunction stations (MFS) at Sedrun and Faido.

These stations will house ventilation equipment and technical infrastructure and will serve as emergency stops and evacuation routes upon tunnel completion.[4]

Construction site near Bodio
Y junction at multifunction station Faido
The TBM from Bodio arrived at MFS Faido in September 2006
Scale model of the TBM S-210
The 1st TBM from Bodio broke through on 6 September 2006, MFS Faido
In the eastern bore near Amsteg.

Access to the Sedrun station site is by a level access tunnel 1 km (0.6 mi) long from the valley floor near Sedrun, at the end of which two vertical shafts lead 800 m (2,625 ft) down to the base tunnel level.

A proposal to construct a functioning railway station called Porta Alpina at this site was ruled out because of the small population served and the reduction in line capacity that would be caused by trains stopping there.[4]

The final breakthrough in the east tube occurred on Friday 15 October 2010 at 14:17 +0200.[12] The final breakthrough in the west tube occurred on Wednesday 23 March 2011 at 12:20.[13][14]

[edit] Allocation of work

The contracts were assigned in sections:

  • Erstfeld (the 7.7 km (4.8 mi) section from Erstfeld to Amsteg), with two tunnel boring machines (TBM) boring the two tubes. The break-through of the east tube between Erstfeld and Amsteg took place on 15 June 2009. The portal area was surface-mined, and drilling and blasting for the two branches is complete.
  • Amsteg (the 11.3 km (7.0 mi) section from Amsteg to north of Sedrun), with work carried out by ARGE AGN (Strabag and Züblin Murer)[15] On 9 December 2009, the Amsteg section was officially handed over to the tunnel's owner ready for fitting out.[16] Civil engineering construction, concreting and lining work are all complete.[17]
  • Sedrun (the 8.6 km (5.3 mi) East tube 8.7 km (5.4 mi) West tube in the section immediately north and south of Sedrun), along with work carried out by Transco (Bilfinger Berger, Implenia, Frutiger and Pizzarotti)[18] The final breakthrough in the west tube took place in March 2011.[19] Civil engineering construction, concreting and lining work is all complete on Sedrun North. The northbound tubes from Amsteg to the Sedrun multifunction station (north) were handed over to the railway systems contractor Transtec Gotthard on schedule on September 15, 2011.[20]
  • Faido (13.4 km (8.3 mi) East tube 13.6 km (8.5 mi) West tube in the section from south of Sedrun to Faido), with work carried out by Consorzio TAT (Alpine Mayreder Bau, CSC Impresa costruzioni, Hochtief and Implenia and Impregilo)[21]
  • Bodio (a 15.9 km (9.9 mi) East tube 15.6 km (9.7 mi) West tube in the section from Faido to Bodio), with work being carried out by Consorzio TAT (Alpine Mayreder Bau, CSC Impresa costruzioni, Hochtief, Implenia and Impregilo)[21] Civil engineering construction, concreting and lining works are all complete.[17]

[edit] Specifications [22]

  • Length:
    • Western tunnel: 56.978 km (35.404 mi)
    • Eastern tunnel: 57.091 km (35.475 mi)
  • Total length of all tunnels and shafts: 151.84 km (94.35 mi)
  • Diameter of each of the single-track tubes: 8.83–9.58 m (29.0–31.4 ft)
  • Distance between cross passage tunnels: ca. 325 m (1,066 ft)
  • Maximum overburden: 2,500 m (8,200 ft)
  • Start of construction: 1993 (sounding drills), 1996 (preparations), 2003 (mechanical excavation)
  • End of construction: 2016
  • Commissioning: May 2016
  • Total cost: CHF 9.74 billion [23] (as of October 2010) (US$10.1 billion)
  • Trains per day: 200–250
  • Electrification System: 15 kV, 16.7 Hz
  • Amount of excavated rock: 28,200,000 t (31,100,000 short tons; 27,800,000 long tons)[24], (13,300,000 m3/17,400,000 cu yd, the equivalent of 5 Giza pyramids)
  • Number of tunnel boring machines (TBM): Four (two northbound from Bodio to Faido and Sedrun (Herrenknecht Gripper TBM S-210 “Sissi” and S-211 "Heidi") and two southbound from Erstfeld to Sedrun (S-229 “Gabi I” and S-230 “Gabi II”))
    • Total length: 440 m (1,440 ft) (including back-up equipment)
    • Total weight: 3,000 t (3,300 short tons; 3,000 long tons)
    • Power: 5 MW
    • Max. excavation daily: 25–30 m (82–98 ft) (in excellent rock conditions)
    • Total excavation length by TBM: about 45 km (28 mi) (for each tube)
    • Manufacturer: Herrenknecht, Schwanau, Germany
  • As of October 2010, 8 workers have died during construction.[25]
Year   Month   Total excavated  % of 151.84 km
2004 July 52.34 km/32.52 mi 34.1%
2005 June 74.59 km/46.35 mi 48.6%
2006 June 94.10 km/58.47 mi 61.3%
2007 June 103.67 km/64.42 mi 67.6%
2008 March 108.02 km/67.12 mi 70.4%
April 109.00 km/67.73 mi 71.0%
July 113.20 km/70.34 mi 73.8%
August 115.20 km/71.58 mi 75.1%
October 118.40 km/73.57 mi 77.2%
2009 January 124.00 km/77.05 mi 81.6%
March 127.30 km/79.10 mi 83.9%
May 131.00 km/81.40 mi 86.3%
June 133.00 km/82.64 mi 87.6%
July 134.80 km/83.76 mi 87.9%
August 136.60 km/84.88 mi 90.0%
September 137.30 km/85.31 mi 90.4%
October 138.60 km/86.12 mi 91.3%
November 140.00 km/86.99 mi 92.2%
December 141.38 km/87.85 mi 93.0%
2010 1 January 141.82 km/88.12 mi 93.4%
1 February 142.48 km/88.53 mi 93.8%
1 March 143.80 km/89.35 mi 94.7%
1 April 144.80 km/89.97 mi 95.4%
1 May 145.40 km/90.35 mi 95.8%
1 June 146.10 km/90.78 mi 96.2%
1 July 146.60 km/91.09 mi 96.6%
1 August 147.33 km/91.55 mi 97.0%
1 September 147.98 km/91.95 mi 97.5%
1 October 149.10 km/92.65 mi 98.2%
1 November 149.90 km/93.14 mi 98.7%
1 December 150.40 km/93.45 mi 99.0%
2011 1 January 150.49 km/93.51 mi 99.1%
1 February 150.77 km/93.68 mi 99.3%
1 March 151.26 km/93.99 mi 99.6%
1 April 151.70 km/94.26 mi 99.91%
1 May 151.75 km/94.29 mi 99.94%
1 June 151.82 km/94.34 mi 99.99%
1 July 151.82 km/94.34 mi 100%[28]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Gotthard Base Tunnel to be operational from 2016". AlpTransit. 22 August 2011. http://www.alptransit.ch/en/media/press-releases/gotthard-basistunnel-soll-2016-in-betrieb-gehen-735.html?cHash=559529f6894fdbc15dd6646646b4ae7b. Retrieved 2011-11-12. 
  2. ^ a b c d e "Project data – raw construction Gotthard Base Tunnel". AlpTransit Gotthard AG. http://www.57km.ch/fileadmin/gotthard/Downloads/Dokumente_PDF_e/Project_data_Gotthard_raw_construction_e.pdf. Retrieved 15 October 2010. 
  3. ^ "Gotthard Base Tunnel to be operational from 2016". AlpTransit. 22 August 2011. http://www.alptransit.ch/en/media/press-releases/gotthard-basistunnel-soll-2016-in-betrieb-gehen-735.html?cHash=559529f6894fdbc15dd6646646b4ae7b. Retrieved 2011-11-12. 
  4. ^ a b c d Malins, Richard (December 2010). "Crossing the Alps". Modern Railways (London): pp. 79–81. 
  5. ^ "Chronology of a Project of the Century: Milestones in the Construction History up to 2010". AlpTransit Gotthard AG. http://www.57km.ch/fileadmin/gotthard/Downloads/Dokumente_PDF_e/Chronology_e.pdf. Retrieved 15 October 2010. 
  6. ^ "Swiss complete world's longest tunnel". BBC News. 15 October 2010. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11548845. Retrieved 15 October 2010. 
  7. ^ "Gotthard Base Tunnel to be operational from 2016". AlpTransit. 22 August 2011. http://www.alptransit.ch/en/media/press-releases/gotthard-basistunnel-soll-2016-in-betrieb-gehen-735.html?cHash=559529f6894fdbc15dd6646646b4ae7b. Retrieved 2011-11-12. 
  8. ^ "Project: Gotthard Base Tunnel". Discovery Channel. 30 May 2010. Retrieved 2011-11-11.. http://www.yourdiscovery.com/web/build-it-bigger/about/projects/gotthard-base-tunnel/. 
  9. ^ "Authorities accused of Gotthard tunnel vision". swissinfo.ch. 23 October 2011. Retrieved 2011-11-11.. http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/swiss_news/Authorities_accused_of_Gotthard_tunnel_vision.html?cid=31373404. 
  10. ^ Description of the SBB-CFF-FFS Re 420 locomotive (German) Lokifahrer.ch. 23 August 2010. Retrieved 2010-10-17.
  11. ^ "The Alpine Convention: A Model for Other Mountain Regions?". Perth College, UK: Centre for Mountain Studies. Martin F Prince. pp. 192–194. doi:10.1659/0276-4741(2000)020[0192:TACAMF]2.0.CO;2. ISSN 1994-7151. http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.1659/0276-4741%282000%29020%5B0192%3ATACAMF%5D2.0.CO%3B2. Retrieved 2009-12-19. 
  12. ^ "Swiss complete world's longest rail tunnel". The Washington Post: p. A6. 16 October 2010. 
  13. ^ "Punching through the Swiss Alps". The Washington Post: p. A1. 24 March 2011. 
  14. ^ "Gotthard Base Tunnel: Driving complete". AlpTransit. 23 March 2011. http://www.alptransit.ch/en/media/press-releases/gotthard-basistunnel-der-vortrieb-ist-beendet-729.html?cHash=c5ea7c0f8d5607531287e6d859a4b425. Retrieved 2011-11-16. 
  15. ^ "Projektbeschrieb" (in German). AGN Strabag. 24 September 2010. http://www.agn-amsteg.ch/baulos-amsteg/projektbeschrieb.html. Retrieved 2010-10-19. 
  16. ^ "Structurally complete tunnels of the Amsteg section handed over". AlpTransit. 10 December 2009. http://www.alptransit.ch/en/media/press-releases/tunnelroehren-des-abschnitts-amsteg-im-rohbau-uebergeben-283.html?cHash=08041d305a4bf933d5913043b9c1cee0. Retrieved 2011-11-12. 
  17. ^ a b "Gotthard approaches final breakthrough, Ceneri starts main drive". AlpTransit. 31 March 2010. http://www.alptransit.ch/en/media/press-releases/gotthard-vor-hauptdurchschlag-hauptvortrieb-am-ceneri-288.html?cHash=5bf551d1688835a7142c5aa6f1e8e37c. Retrieved 2011-11-12. 
  18. ^ "Transco Sedrun". Transco. http://www.transco-sedrun.ch/1_DEU_HTML.htm. Retrieved 2010-10-15. 
  19. ^ "Final breakthrough of the longest railway tunnel in the world". AlpTransit. 15 October 2011. http://www.alptransit.ch/en/media/press-releases/hauptdurchschlag-im-laengsten-eisenbahntunnel-der-welt-303.html?cHash=b99fdea861735d62090812c2c22a7185. Retrieved 2011-11-12. 
  20. ^ "Installation of the railway systems in the north has begun". AlpTransit. 02 September 2011. http://www.alptransit.ch/en/media/press-releases/der-einbau-der-bahntechnik-im-norden-hat-begonnen-736.html?cHash=f6c5d662a753c9bf3ad0c0be1f7ea816. Retrieved 2011-11-12. 
  21. ^ a b "Consorzio TAT website". TAT. http://www.tat-ti.ch/. Retrieved 2010-10-15. 
  22. ^ "Project data – raw construction Gotthard Base Tunnel". Alptransit.. 22 April 2010. http://www.alptransit.ch/fileadmin/dateien/medien/zahlen/LZ01-223480-v1-Projektkennzahlen_Rohbau_GBT_e.pdf. Retrieved 2011-11-15. 
  23. ^ "Switzerland has its record-breaking tunnel". swissinfo.ch. 15 October 2010. http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/Specials/Gotthard_base_tunnel/The_tunnel/Switzerland_has_its_record-breaking_tunnel.html?cid=28532002. Retrieved 2011-11-12. 
  24. ^ "Experience In Spoil Management On Conclusion Of Excavations For The Gottard Base Tunnel". Alptransit.. 02 March 2011. http://www.alptransit.ch/fileadmin/dateien/medien/artikel/2011.03.02_Samoter_2011_Verona_Materialbewirtschaftung_GBT.pdf. Retrieved 2011-11-15. 
  25. ^ "Miracle Under the Alps". Spiegel International (Hamburg). 14 October 2010. http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,723202,00.html. 
  26. ^ "Status of the work". Alptransit.. 1 November 2011. http://www.alptransit.ch/en/status-of-the-work/status-of-the-work.html. Retrieved 2011-11-11. 
  27. ^ "Gotthard Base Tunnel". Alptransit.. 1 November 2011. http://www.alptransit.ch/en/status-of-the-work/gotthard-base-tunnel.html. Retrieved 2011-11-11. 
  28. ^ "Gotthard Base Tunnel: Driving complete". Alptransit.. 23 March 2011. http://www.alptransit.ch/en/media/press-releases/gotthard-basistunnel-der-vortrieb-ist-beendet-729.html?cHash=c5ea7c0f8d5607531287e6d859a4b425. Retrieved 2011-11-12. 

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