Newly completed Swiss tunnel to transform rail travel
September 4, 2020
The Ceneri Base Tunnel is the final piece in a mammoth Swiss project to carve a new rail route through the Alps. In the future, the route should be able to connect the North Sea with the Mediterranean.
Image: Reuters/A. Wiegmann
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Switzerland celebrated the completion of the Ceneri Base Tunnel on Friday, marking a major milestone in the completion of a new trans-European rail route.
The tunnel officially opened for train traffic following a ceremony complete with alphorn players and musicians from the German-speaking regions of Switzerland and its Italian-speaking southern Ticino region — symbolizing the new link between the country's north and south.
"This new train line through the Alps is the project of the century for our country," Swiss President Simonetta Sommaruga told news agency AFP.
"It is the biggest investment we have ever made," she said, dubbing the project "a strong sign of an intelligent transport policy."
The last blast work on the tunnel finished in 2016Image: picture-alliance/dpa/C. Beutler
Three hours from Zurich to Milan
The tunnel stretches 15.4 kilometers (9.6 miles) underneath the Alps near Switzerland's border with Italy. It's the final stage of the country's multi-year New Railway Link through the Alps project.
Along with its sister-tunnels, the Lotschberg and Gotthard Base Tunnels, the Ceneri tunnel allows trains to smoothly cross underneath the Alps — giving freight and passenger trains alike a flat line through the mountains.
The Ceneri Base Tunnel is expected to see 170 freight and passenger trains passing through every day.
The new route will significantly cut down travel times for passengers — trimming the ride from Zurich to Milan to just three hours.
The Ceneri Base Tunnel sits 329 meters (1,079 feet) above sea level and stretches for 15.4 kilometers (9.6 miles)Image: picture-alliance/dpa/G. Bally
Germany stalls trans-European route
In the larger scheme of things, the Swiss tunnels will help revolutionize rail connections in Europe — and reduce the number of trucks transporting goods through the Alps.
The larger goal is to connect the Dutch port of Rotterdam — Europe's largest seaport —with the Italian port of Genoa.
With the Swiss part of the project now completed, and with Italy set to soon complete its portion of the rail route — the project is being held up by Germany.
New Swiss tunnel is the world's longest
Switzerland has unveiled a new railway tunnel that cuts through 57 kilometers of the Swiss Alps. A technological tour de force, the Gotthard Base Tunnel connects the scenic villages of Erstfeld and Bodio.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/B. Settnik
Moving mountains
After 17 years of construction, the Gotthard Base Tunnel is finally ready for operation. Some 28 million tons of rock were carved out of the Swiss Alps by massive boring machines, and the leftover debris was then used to make concrete and form the smooth tunnel walls. Inaugural train rides are planned for June 1, but normal operations won't commence until another 3,000 test drives are completed.
Image: picture-alliance/Keystone/M. Ruetschi
A plane for trains
A key advantage of the new Gotthard tunnel is the flat surface of its tracks, making it easier for heavier trains to travel between Erstfeld and Bodio with fewer engines - and do so at higher speeds. This will make it possible for 260 freight trains to pass through the tunnel in a day, compared to the 180 that made their way through the old Gotthard tunnel.
Image: picture alliance/KEYSTONE
A job machine
In all, 2,600 people came together to work on the Gotthard Base Tunnel project, including engineers, geologists and contractors. Together, they chalked up 4 million man-hours. The Swiss, true to their reputation for precision and punctuality, finished the project a year ahead of schedule and only marginally overbudget.
Image: AlpTransit Gotthard AG
Move over, Japan!
With the Gotthard tunnel's completion, Switzerland dethrones Japan as having the world's longest underground railroad passage. Opened in 1988, the Seikan tunnel was commissioned after a devastating typhoon sank five ferry boats. Eager for a safer way to cross the Tsugaru Strait, the Japanese carved a 53.9-kilometer tunnel through a major earthquake zone.
Image: Imago/Kyodo News
The Channel Tunnel
An engineering marvel in its own right, the Gotthard tunnel is seven kilometers longer than the Channel Tunnel, which has been recognized as one of the seven wonders of the modern world. Also known as the Eurotunnel, this 50.5 kilometer-long link between Great Britain and France also has one of the longest undersea sections in the world (37.9 kilometers).
Image: Getty Images/AFP/D. Charlet
Road to rails
Gotthard's tenure as the longest rail tunnel in the world may be over by 2026. That's when construction of the Brenner Base Tunnel is slated for completion. The Brenner tunnel will stretch 64 kilometers and is aimed at relieving congestion on the popular - and highly trafficked - Brenner Pass (pictured).
Many German engineers worked on the Gotthard Base Tunnel, which finished sooner than expected and with only minor cost overruns. That feat is in stark contrast with some major construction projects in Germany, notably Berlin's new airport, whose opening is already four and a half years behind schedule, due to sloppy project management and a series of major engineering mistakes by contractors.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/B. Settnik
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A planned expansion on the route from the German city of Karlsruhe to the Swiss city of Basel has stalled due to complaints from residents along the route.
The section is due to be expanded from two to four tracks, but appeals against the plans have pushed the construction timeline out by 15 years.
Due to the delays, Swiss officials have started holding talks with France on using an alternate French route rather than the contentious German route.
