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Coordinates: 46°36′00″N 8°45′54″E / 46.600°N 8.765°E / 46.600; 8.765
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The '''Gotthard Base Tunnel''' (GBT) is a [[railway tunnel]] across the [[Alps]] in [[Switzerland]]. With a length of {{convert|57|km|mi|1|abbr=on}} and a total of {{convert|151.84|km|mi|1|abbr=on}} of tunnels, shafts and passages,<ref name="Project data" /> it is the world's [[List of tunnels by length|longest rail tunnel]], followed by the undersea [[Seikan Tunnel]] in Japan.
The '''Gotthard Base Tunnel''' (GBT) is a [[railway tunnel]] beneath the [[Alps]] in [[Switzerland]]. With a length of {{convert|57|km|mi|1|abbr=on}} and a total of {{convert|151.84|km|mi|1|abbr=on}} of tunnels, shafts and passages,<ref name="Project data" /> it is the world's [[List of tunnels by length|longest rail tunnel]], surpassing the undersea [[Seikan Tunnel]] in Japan.


The project, which costs [[Swiss franc|CHF]] 9.83 billion,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.neat.ch/en/project-alptransit-gotthard/the-costs/ |title=The Costs |publisher=Neat.ch |date= |accessdate=2010-10-15}}</ref> consists of two tunnels with [[Single track (rail)|one track]] each. It is part of the [[AlpTransit]] project, also known as the ''New Railway Link through the Alps'' (NRLA), which also includes the [[Lötschberg Base Tunnel]] between the [[Cantons of Switzerland|cantons]] of [[Canton of Bern|Bern]] and [[Valais]]. It bypasses the 19th century ''[[Gotthardbahn]]'', a winding mountain route across the [[Saint-Gotthard Massif]] and establishes a direct route usable by [[high-speed rail]] and heavy freight trains.
The project, which costs [[Swiss franc|CHF]] 9.83 billion,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.neat.ch/en/project-alptransit-gotthard/the-costs/ |title=The Costs |publisher=Neat.ch |date= |accessdate=2010-10-15}}</ref> consists of two tunnels with [[Single track (rail)|one track]] each. It is part of the [[AlpTransit]] project, also known as the ''New Railway Link through the Alps'' (NRLA), which also includes the [[Lötschberg Base Tunnel]] between the [[Cantons of Switzerland|cantons]] of [[Canton of Bern|Bern]] and [[Valais]]. It bypasses the 19th century ''[[Gotthardbahn]]'', a winding mountain route across the [[Saint-Gotthard Massif]] and establishes a direct route usable by [[high-speed rail]] and heavy freight trains.


After 64% of Swiss voters accepted the AlpTransit project in a 1992 [[Referendum#Switzerland|referendum]], construction of the tunnel began in 1996.<ref name="Chronology">{{cite web|title=Chronology of a Project of the Century: Milestones in the Construction History up to 2010|url=http://www.57km.ch/fileadmin/gotthard/Downloads/Dokumente_PDF_e/Chronology_e.pdf|publisher=AlpTransit Gotthard AG|accessdate=15 October 2010}}</ref> Boring operations in the east tunnel were completed on 15 October 2010 in a cut-through ceremony broadcast live on [[Schweizer Fernsehen|Swiss TV]].<ref name="BBC Oct 15 2010">{{cite news|title=Swiss complete world's longest tunnel|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11548845|accessdate=15 October 2010|newspaper=[[BBC News]]|date=15 October 2010}}</ref> When it opens for traffic in late 2017,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.alptransit.ch/en/project-alptransit-gotthard/the-new-gotthard-rail-link/print.html |title=The new Gotthard rail link |publisher=Alptransit.ch |date= |accessdate=2010-10-15}}</ref> the tunnel will cut the 3.5-hour travel time from [[Zürich]] to [[Milan]] by an hour and from Zürich to [[Lugano]] to 1 hour 40 minutes.
After 64 percent of Swiss voters accepted the AlpTransit project in a 1992 [[Referendum#Switzerland|referendum]], construction of the tunnel began in 1996.<ref name="Chronology">{{cite web|title=Chronology of a Project of the Century: Milestones in the Construction History up to 2010|url=http://www.57km.ch/fileadmin/gotthard/Downloads/Dokumente_PDF_e/Chronology_e.pdf|publisher=AlpTransit Gotthard AG|accessdate=15 October 2010}}</ref> Boring operations in the east tunnel were completed on 15 October 2010 in a cut-through ceremony broadcast live on [[Schweizer Fernsehen|Swiss TV]].<ref name="BBC Oct 15 2010">{{cite news|title=Swiss complete world's longest tunnel|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11548845|accessdate=15 October 2010|newspaper=[[BBC News]]|date=15 October 2010}}</ref> When it opens for traffic in late 2017,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.alptransit.ch/en/project-alptransit-gotthard/the-new-gotthard-rail-link/print.html |title=The new Gotthard rail link |publisher=Alptransit.ch |date= |accessdate=2010-10-15}}</ref> the tunnel will cut the 3.5-hour travel time from [[Zürich]] to [[Milan]] by an hour and from Zürich to [[Lugano]] to 1 hour 40 minutes.


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

Revision as of 23:18, 15 October 2010

46°36′00″N 8°45′54″E / 46.600°N 8.765°E / 46.600; 8.765 46°36′00″N 8°45′54″E / 46.600°N 8.765°E / 46.600; 8.765{{#coordinates:}}: cannot have more than one primary tag per page

Gotthard Basse 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
LineAlpTransit
LocationSwiss Alps
StatusUnder construction
StartErstfeld (Uri)
EndBodio (Ticino)
Operation
Work begun1996
OwnerSwiss Federal Railways
OperatorSwiss Federal Railways
TrafficTrain
Technical
Line length57.104 km (35.483 mi) (east tunnel)
57.017 km (35.429 mi) (west tunnel)[1]
No. of tracks2 single track tunnels[1]
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) (standard gauge)
Operating speedup to 250 km/h
Highest elevation549 m[1]
Lowest elevation312 m (at Bodio)[1]

The Gotthard Base Tunnel (GBT) is a railway tunnel beneath the Alps in Switzerland. With a length of 57 km (35.4 mi) and a total of 151.84 km (94.3 mi) of tunnels, shafts and passages,[1] it is the world's longest rail tunnel, surpassing the undersea Seikan Tunnel in Japan.

The project, which costs CHF 9.83 billion,[2] consists of two tunnels with one track each. It is part of the AlpTransit project, also known as the New Railway Link through the Alps (NRLA), which also includes the Lötschberg Base Tunnel between the cantons of Bern and Valais. It bypasses the 19th century Gotthardbahn, a winding mountain route across the Saint-Gotthard Massif and establishes a direct route usable by high-speed rail and heavy freight trains.

After 64 percent of Swiss voters accepted the AlpTransit project in a 1992 referendum, construction of the tunnel began in 1996.[3] Boring operations in the east tunnel were completed on 15 October 2010 in a cut-through ceremony broadcast live on Swiss TV.[4] When it opens for traffic in late 2017,[5] the tunnel will cut the 3.5-hour travel time from Zürich to Milan by an hour and from Zürich to Lugano to 1 hour 40 minutes.

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.

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 one of 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 road and rail tunnels are at their limits.

To provide a faster and flatter passage through the Swiss Alps, the tunnel cuts through the Gotthard massif 600 m (1,969 ft) below the existing railway tunnel. On the current track, the Gotthardbahn, only trains up to 1,400 t (1,543 short tons; 1,378 long tons) [6] when using two locomotives or up to 1,700 t (1,874 short tons; 1,673 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 t (4,409 short tons; 3,937 long tons) will be able to pass this natural barrier. Because of the 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 from southern Germany to northern Italy and back by train to relieve the already 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.[7]

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

Scheme of the Gotthard Base Tunnel, centrepiece of the New Railway Link through the Alps NRLA (green: excavation in progress).

Construction

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 the construction of the tunnel could start at four (a fifth was added later) different sites simultaneously (Erstfeld, Amsteg, Sedrun, Faido and Bodio).

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

|

Construction site near Bodio

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Y junction at multifunction station Faido

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The TBM from Bodio arrived at MFS Faido in September 2006

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Scale model of the TBM S-210

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In the eastern bore near Amsteg.

|} Access to the site where the Sedrun station is being excavated is by a level access tunnel of 1 km (0.6 mi) from the valley floor near Sedrun, at the end of which two shafts lead 800 m (2,625 ft) straight down to the base tunnel level. A project to construct a functioning railway station called Porta Alpina at this site was put on indefinite hold in September 2007.

In May 2009, final break-through for all tunnels was expected in Spring 2011.[8] In December 2009, the expected date of the first final break-through was moved back to November 2010.[9] In April 2010, the expected date of the first final break-through was moved back to 15 October 2010.[10] The breakthrough in the east tube was finally achieved on Fri 15 Oct 2010 14:17 +0200. The final breakthrough in the west tube is planned to take place in April 2011. [11]

Allocation of work

The contracts were let 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 and was transmitted live by Swiss Television (SF TV).[12] The portal area is being surface-mined, and drilling and blasting for the two branches (see above under Construction) is nearly complete; this work is expected to be complete by the time the rest of the tunnel excavation is finished.
  • Amsteg (the 11.4 km (7.1 mi) section from Amsteg to north of Sedrun), with work carried out by ARGE AGN (Strabag and Züblin Murer)[13] On 9 December 2009, the Amsteg section was officially handed over to the tunnel's owner. Railway track will now start to be installed.[9] Civil engineering construction, concreting and lining work are all complete.[14]
  • Sedrun (the 6.8 km (4.2 mi) section immediately north and south of Sedrun), long with work carried out by Transco (Bilfinger Berger, Implenia, Frutiger and Pizzarotti)[15] The last break-through of the Gotthard Project, Sedrun to Faido, is expected to occur during autumn 2010.[16] Civil engineering construction, concreting and lining work is all complete on Sedrun North.[14]
  • Faido (14.6 km (9.1 mi) from south of Sedrun to Faido), with work carried out by Consorzio TAT (Alpine Mayreder Bau, CSC Impresa costruzioni, Hochtief and Implenia and Impregilo)[17]
  • Bodio (a 16.6 km (10.3 mi) section from Faido to Bodio), with work being carried out by Consorzio TAT (Alpine Mayreder Bau, CSC Impresa costruzioni, Hochtief, Implenia and Impregilo)[17] Civil engineering construction, concreting and lining works are all complete.[14]

Facts

  • 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: 8.8–9.5 m (29–31 ft)
  • Distance between cross passage tunnels: ca. 325 m (1,066 ft)
  • Maximum overburden: ca. 2,500 m (8,200 ft)
  • Start of construction: 1993 (sounding drills), 1996 (preparations), 2003 (mechanical excavation)
  • End of construction: 2016–2017
  • Commissioning: Late 2017
  • Total cost: CHF 9.83 billion [18] (as of October 2010) (US$10.22 billion)
  • Trains per day: 200–250
  • Amount of excavated rock: 26,500,000 t (29,200,000 short tons; 26,100,000 long tons), (13,300,000 m3 (17,400,000 cu yd)*, the equivalent of 5 Giza pyramids)
  • Number of tunnel boring machines (TBM): 4 (2 southbound from Amsteg to Sedrun, 2 northbound from Bodio to Faido and Sedrun, section from Erstfeld to Amsteg will also be built with TBM, maybe the same used for Amsteg-Sedrun)
    • Total length: 440 m (1,440 ft) (including back-up equipment)
    • Total weight: 3,000 t (3,307 short tons; 2,953 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)
    • Manufacturer: Herrenknecht, Schwanau, Germany
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)* 93.84%
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%

See also

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References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Project data – raw construction Gotthard Base Tunnel" (PDF). AlpTransit Gotthard AG. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  2. ^ "The Costs". Neat.ch. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  3. ^ "Chronology of a Project of the Century: Milestones in the Construction History up to 2010" (PDF). AlpTransit Gotthard AG. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  4. ^ "Swiss complete world's longest tunnel". BBC News. 15 October 2010. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  5. ^ "The new Gotthard rail link". Alptransit.ch. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  6. ^ Description of the SBB-CFF-FFS Re 420 locomotive (German)[dead link]
  7. ^ Price, Martin F. (May 2000). "The Alpine Convention: A Model for Other Mountain Regions?". Mountain Research and Development. 20 (2). Perth College, UK: Centre for Mountain Studies: 192–194. doi:10.1659/0276-4741(2000)020[0192:TACAMF]2.0.CO;2. ISSN 1994-7151. Retrieved 19 December 2009. {{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  8. ^ [1][dead link]
  9. ^ a b "Structurally complete tunnels of the Amsteg section handed over". Neat.ch. 9 December 2009. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  10. ^ "Gotthard Base Tunnel: World record planned for October 15, 2010". Neat.ch. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  11. ^ "Final breakthrough of the longest railway tunnel in the world". Alptransit.ch. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  12. ^ "News". Alptransit.ch. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  13. ^ "ARGE AGN website". Agn-amsteg.ch. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  14. ^ a b c "Gotthard approaches final breakthrough, Ceneri starts main drive". Neat.ch. 31 March 2010. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  15. ^ "Transco website". Transco-sedrun.ch. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  16. ^ [2][dead link]
  17. ^ a b "Consorzio TAT website". Tat-ti.ch. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  18. ^ "The Costs". Alptransit.ch. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
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