075360E cer view. clear A Bulletin From Swiss Myth to the Longest From totheLongest Myth Tunnel Swiss inthe World Since Since 1895 . The world’s oldestbankingmagazine. Gottardo CREDIT SUISSE 2 / 2016 Photo: Image Source / Keystone . . . of the Mediterranean *

* As of December 2016, the journey south will be about half an hour shorter, and from 2020 as much as a full hour. Main partner

Our contribution to the future: putting bold ideas solidly on track.

Deep beneath the Swiss Alps, the world’s longest tunnel, stretching 57km, is nearing completion. By the end of this year, the Gotthard base tunnel will be traversed daily by 260 freight and 65 passenger trains at speeds of up to 250 km/h, dramatically shortening journey times through the Alps. To help make this engineering feat possible, ABB experts developed custom infrastructure, energy-efficient power distribution, and the largest fresh-air ventilation system ever built. — Editorial —

The Spirit of Enterprise – Then and Now

he Gotthard symbolizes world record-setting achievements. When the first railway tunnel through the mountain opened in 1882, it was T the longest tunnel in the world. The new Gotthard Base Tunnel, sched- uled to open on June 1 of this year, sets a new record at 57 kilometers. The Gotthard also represents the visionary power of Switzerland – some- thing that people occasionally call into question. Switzerland, we often hear, is neither willing nor able to accomplish great things. The Gotthard once proved otherwise – and it has done so again. The first Gotthard railway tunnel, which largely owed its existence to the drive, courage and pioneering spirit of Alfred Escher, was “the expression of a dynamic, open and forward-looking Switzerland,” according to historian Joseph Jung (see page 21). Escher also founded the Schweizerische Kreditanstalt – what is today Credit Suisse. We are proud to be a main partner as the construction project of this century puts the Gotthard Base Tunnel into service.

witzerland outdid itself with the first Gotthard project – and it is repeat- ing the feat today. Peter Jedelhauser, project manager for the Gotthard S Base Tunnel, spoke with us about precisely this spirit of enterprise, a spirit that still thrives in our country. “Together we said, ‘Yes, we can do it!’ ” (page 14). In a major study, the Economic Research unit of Credit Suisse has identified the benefits the new railway line brings to Switzerland. The Gotthard is a symbol of superlatives, of myths and visions. But it also represents something else, something that may be less spectacular but is all the more important for that: Swiss virtues such as perseverance, pragmatism, reliability and precision. For example, when the Gotthard Base Tunnel broke through the last bit of rock, the drill was off its target by just 0.00014 per- cent. What could be a better illustration of our country’s strengths?

nd I almost forgot the most famous of Swiss virtues: punctuality. This is the one we hear about all the time when we travel (which always A makes us blush a little). Punctuality? We may have overdone it! The Gotthard Base Tunnel will go into service one year earlier than planned… How will we ever explain that abroad?

I hope you’ll enjoy reading about this amazing project!

Thomas Gottstein, CEO Swiss Universal Bank, Credit Suisse AG

Cover photo: AlpTransit Gotthard AG; Photo: Rainer Wolfensberger Bulletin 2 / 2016 — 1 Hauptpartner Partenaire principal Partner principale Main Partner © AlpTransit Gotthard AG Gotthard © AlpTransit

The old lady’s watch

Commissioned in 1952, the fl eet comprising a total of 120 locomotives transported Stainless steel case individually numbered. Scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. thousands of people and tonnes of goods through Switzerland. While the train’s offi cial Precise Swiss quartz timepiece with original stop2go feature, as seen on clocks at name was the «Ae 6/6», it was known to locomotive drivers as the «Gotthard Swiss railway stations. Gift box with certifi cate and product information. Two-year locomotive» due to its typical area of use. The old lady’s days of travelling through the international warranty. Available for CHF 750 from new Gotthard Base Tunnel are now over. Instead, it will now travel all over the world as www.shop.mondaine.com an exclusive special edition watch, the «Gottardo 2016». Why does the special edition go by this name, you might ask? Because its bezels come from the material used in the Enjoy the rest of your trip. driver’s cab doors of the «Gotthard locomotive».

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Gottardo2016 Quantity PLZ/Ort: 1. 2. 1. A9500.30363.G.SET Beige 750.– E-mail: 2. A9500.30363.H.SET Brown 750.– Phone no.:

Gottardo Nord Sud Quantity Signature: 3. 3. 4. A669.30305GOT.SET 30 mm 260.– (while stocks last) Please complete the coupon in full and send it to: 4. A627.30303GOT.SET 40 mm 260.– This order is binding. Mondaine Watch Ltd. www.shop.mondaine.com Etzelstrasse 27 8808 Pfäffikon Switzerland Tel. +41 (0)58 666 88 00 — Gottardo —

Contents

4 The Tunnel and Me 14 “Two tracks, a lot of concrete” 38 Stories from the Inside Nine people talk about how the SBB project manager Peter Six contractors talk Gotthard will change their lives. Jedelhauser mostly has about the special challenges a plan for almost everything. of building a tunnel. 12 Better, Faster, Longer The construction project of the 43 The Saint and the Devil century in facts and figures. How Gotthard got its name.

44 Heart of Swissness From Dürrenmatt to Dobelli: Gotthard in literature.

50 Gotthard Is Everywhere 20 The Swiss Wonder of the World A journey in photos to the How modern Switzerland Gotthards of this world. was created – thanks to Alfred Escher. 52 Animals Underground In the animal kingdom, tunnels 24 Who Should Pay for It? provide protection from preda- Financial troubles for the first tors and the harsh environment. Gotthard Railway.

ECONOMIC RESEARCH

26 INTRODUCTION Resetting the clocks on the Gotthard massif.

28 PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION Switzerland grows closer. 56 Connection to the World How do infrastructure con- 30 ALTDORF DEVELOPMENT struction and economic growth REGION: Is history influence neo another? repeating itself? 35 BELLINZONA 66 Last Stop! 31 REAL ESTATE MARKET DEVELOPMENT AREA: Between German-speaking Live in Bellinzona, A new gateway to Ticino. Switzerland and Ticino. work in Lugano. 36 TOURISM 68 Letters to the 32 GOODS TRAFFIC A day in the sun, and how Editor / Publishing Take the quiz A “subway” for trade. Ticino is coming closer. Information and win a trip through 34 TUNNEL CONSTRUCTION 37 LABOR MARKET 70 Quiz the tunnel! Swiss discipline and New possibilities: Flexible work Test your Gotthard knowledge: its benefits. and the NEAT. seven questions about Switzer- land’s legendary mountain.

Illustration: Anna Dunn; photos: Janosch Abel; PCW / fotolia; Stefan Meyers / Okapia Bulletin 2 / 2016 — 3 — Gottardo —

The Tunnel and Me

Of course, NEAT will make getting around Switzerland faster. But it also improves things in other ways: some people are using the mountain drainage for farming fish, while others are skydiving more often. Nine very different Gotthard users on the tunnel’s new benefits and their plans for the future.

By Simon Brunner (text) and Patricia von Ah (photos)

4 — Bulletin 2 / 2016 — Gottardo —

WINEMAKER Davide Ghidossi, 33, award-winning winemaker, Giubiasco (TI)

“My grandfather worked for the Swiss Federal Railways. I remember riding with him from Bellinzona to Flüelen. I was fascinated by the church in Wassen – you can see it three times as the train weaves its way upward through the valley. The new line runs underneath Wassen. It’s very important, especially for small and medium-sized businesses in Ticino that need fast, on-time connections to their customers in German-speaking Switzerland.”

Bulletin 2 / 2016 — 5 — Gottardo —

STUDENT Nathalie Boissonnat, 30, studies public management and politics in Lugano and Bern, Giubiasco (TI)

“The Gotthard Tunnel was always part of my life. I learned how to read traffic signs from the car when we drove through the tunnel. I always wanted to know how much longer we’d be driving, so my parents taught me what POLITICIAN the kilometer markers meant. I now Fabio Regazzi, 53, Member of live in Bern and travel home the National Council (CVP) and about every other week. I’m a big entrepreneur, Gordola (TI) fan of public transportation, and I wish it would be a greater “I have to go through the Gotthard priority in Ticino.” two to three times each month. When I go to parliament, it makes more sense to travel by train since I can work during the trip. The Gotthard Tunnel is a symbol of national solidarity, a connection between the different regions of Switzerland. With the new tunnel, our country will grow closer together. The same is true for Ticino – I’ll be able to get from Gordola to Lugano in about 20 minutes. Today it takes twice as long.”

6 — Bulletin 2 / 2016 — Gottardo —

ENTREPRENEUR Richard L. Beeler, 64, Managing Director of Basis57, Adligenswil (LU)

“The new tunnel drains water from the mountains. Basis57 wants to collect this water and use it for farming fish, such as zander and perch, as well as less common domestic species like burbot. The fresh mountain water is around 15 °C and will be used for producing 1,200 tons of fish per year. Since the summer of 2015, the first fish have been living in a laboratory facility in Erstfeld, where we’ve monitored their feeding and growth and perfected our technology. The goal is to build a feeding facility at the tunnel’s northern end by 2018, and to deliver gourmet fish from the Gotthard by 2020.”

Bulletin 2 / 2016 — 7 — Gottardo —

SKYDIVER Barbara Gloor, 52, business economist, Aristau (AG)

“Since I began skydiving in 2012, Ticino has become my second home. I always look forward to the different light on the southern side of the Alps. As soon as I drive out of the tunnel, my vacation begins, even if it’s only for one day. I need to have complete concentration for every single jump, which lets me disconnect completely and leave everyday worries behind. Days at Para Centro in Locarno are so relaxing for me. The view during the ascent, as well as in freefall and with my parachute open, has to be one of the most beautiful in the world. I’m thrilled that soon I’ll be able to get there faster.”

8 — Bulletin 2 / 2016 — Gottardo —

FAN Remo Kölliker, 39, social worker, Zurich

“I’ve supported the Hockey Club Lugano since I was a kid – my parents are from Ticino. Right now I make it to a handful of games each season. Unfortunately, I have to drive because it’s difficult to make the last train after the end of a game. With shorter travel times, I hope that there will be more trains departing later.”

Bulletin 2 / 2016 — 9 — Gottardo —

CONSTRUCTION WORKER René Kempf, 47, heating and plumbing technician, Erstfeld (UR)

“I’ve worked at the tunnel on and off since 2002; the construction site is practically our backyard. NEAT was a part of my daily life for thirteen years. I won’t have as much to do with the tunnel once it’s finished – I don’t take the train much.”

10 — Bulletin 2 / 2016 — Gottardo —

LOGISTICS SPECIALIST Markus Müller, 50, logistics manager for Papyrus, a paper wholesaler, Turgi (AG)

“Today, rail cars are picked up at Dintikon (Aargau) at 9:30 p.m. and arrive in Ticino at 6:00 a.m. Earlier delivery would be advantageous for our distribution partners in Ticino, so they could send out their VACATION shipments earlier. But reliability is HOME OWNER even more important to us than Irene Durrer, 49, physician’s saving time. In the past, there were assistant, Immensee (SZ) often interruptions in delivery. Our customers rely on a fixed schedule. “I travel to Ticino at least once a If there’s no paper at a printing month – usually by car to our plant, the machinery quickly comes farmhouse in the Valle Maggia, to a stop and employees lose work. and by train to visit relatives We hope that the new Gotthard near Locarno. I hope that the new Tunnel will provide a more reliable railway tunnel will improve the connection to Ticino.” situation for drivers by taking more trucks off the road. Saving time isn’t so important to us. We’d rather take the road over the pass to enjoy the scenery – as leisurely as possible.”

Bulletin 2 / 2016 — 11 — Gottardo —

PASSENGERS PER DAY – Better, Around 9,000 people per day currently travel through the Gotthard Tunnel with Faster, the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB). The number of trav- elers is likely to more than double by 2025, thanks to Longer faster and more frequent rail connections. The SBB ex- The Gotthard Base Tunnel (GBT) pects at least 15,000 travelers is an epic achievement. per day by 2020. The tunnel in facts and figures. FREIGHT PER DAY –

Illustrations: Anna Dunn, content: Simon Brunner Freight traffic benefits the most. 260 freight trains per day will pass through the base tunnel (up from 160 through the summit tunnel), and they can be heavier and longer.

Source: sbb.ch

TRAVEL TIME 1830 1830 BASEL–LUGANO ROAD (GOODS) ROAD (STAGECOACH) The first road The well-organized stagecoach line had many stations for over the pass changing horses, enabling relatively speedy travel with almost opened in 1830. no interruption.

BEFORE 1830 MULE TRACK 1882 2015 RAIL AUTO Opening of the Today, cars and 2020 Gotthard Tunnel trains make the RAIL trip in about the With the Ceneri same time. Tunnel and 2015 renovation of the RAIL Axen tunnels. lncreasingly powerful and faster engines shorten 2016 travel time. RAIL with GBT

14 DAYS 6 DAYS 49 hours 13:30 4:06 3:59 approx. 3:30 approx. 3:00

Source: “Auf die Schienen, fertig, los!” (Verkehrshaus Luzern/Christian Scheidegger), sbb.ch, google.ch/maps 12 — Bulletin 2 / 2016 — Gottardo —

HOW MUCH DID IT COST?

The Gotthard Base Tunnel cost The entire NEAT – including the 12.2 billion Swiss francs, including Lötschberg, Gotthard and Ceneri Base inflation, VAT and interest. Tunnels – cost 23 billion Swiss francs.

EXCAVATED MATERIAL – 28.2 million tons of material were removed. A large amount of the rock went back into the mountain as cement. Leftover material was used for landscaping and filling dams, among other things. Six islands were created in Lake Uri: three as nature preserves and three for swimming.

Source: Gottardo 2016 Source: Gottardo 2016

THE WORLD’S FIVE LONGEST TUNNELS

GOTTHARD BASE TUNNEL, 57.0 KM SWITZERLAND, 2016, COST: CHF 12.2 BILLION

SEIKAN TUNNEL, 53.9 KM JAPAN, 1988, COST: CHF 4.3 BILLION

EUROTUNNEL, 50.5 KM UNITED KINGDOM/FRANCE, 1994, COST: CHF 16.1 BILLION

LÖTSCHBERG BASE TUNNEL, 34.6 KM SWITZERLAND, 2006, COST: CHF 4.3 BILLION

GUADARRAMA TUNNEL, 28.4 KM SPAIN, 2007, COST: CHF 1.34 BILLION

Source: BLS, “Der Spiegel”, railway-technology.com, “Today’s Railways Europe” Bulletin 2 / 2016 — 13 — Gottardo — “TWO TRACKS, A LOT OF CONCRETE AND EVEN MORE TECHNOLOGY”

Mine drillers with “Heidi,” the tunnel drilling machine, after breaking through the last section of the Gotthard base tunnel near Sedrun on March 23, 2011.

14 — Bulletin 2 / 2016 Photo: Martin Rütschi / Keystone — Gottardo —

The Gotthard base tunnel is more than a miracle of civil engineering. With its record-breaking tunnel, the Swiss railway will be reinvented in December 2016. All the connections come together in a single office in Lucerne. That’s where you’ll find the SBB project manager, Peter Jedelhauser, who’s thinking: “Where could the next problem crop up? How can I solve it?”

By Simon Brunner

Mr. Jedelhauser, you have already taken breakthrough. Is it a wonder of the the trip that everyone in Switzerland world? I don’t know. But it is certainly an impatiently awaits. How does it feel to amazing accomplishment in which we travel through the longest train tunnel take both pleasure and pride. in the world? I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you. A wave of pride washed over the US with The twenty minutes I spent during a test the first moon landing, and Russian run did not feel much different than self-confidence went up with the launch the fifteen minutes it takes today in the of the Sputnik missile. Is the GBT a old Gotthard tunnel. The biggest comparable moment for Switzerland? difference is the fact that the Italian spirit The base tunnel is without doubt a takes hold more quickly. Today it takes construction project for the ages, and 74 minutes to travel from Erstfeld to Swiss qualities have made a substantial Biasca. Starting in December 2016, it will contribution. Pioneering spirit, the be just a little more than 20 minutes. power of innovation, precision and the determination to see it through. We And how does it feel? came together and said, “Yes, we can do The trip through the new tunnel takes five it.” It was a democratic decision, supported minutes longer than today, but you by several referenda. [See the history don’t notice it. However, the train is faster, of the GBT, page 19, editor’s note]. at about 200 km/h. Today we travel through the summit tunnel at 125 km/h. What was the greatest moment for you personally? Do you feel the speed? There were two. For one, there was the On the contrary, it’s remarkably smooth. breakthrough in the west tunnel with the The track bed is fantastic, you feel like enormous boring machine – that was you’re just gliding along. huge. And I will also never forget the first walk through the tunnel from Bodio to When the railway opened in 1882, the first Erstfeld, long before track was laid. It took Gotthard tunnel was called the Swiss more than eight hours – that’s when I wonder of the world. International commen- first became fully aware of the full scope tators compared it to the construction of the of the project. ancient Egyptian pyramids. Is the Gotthard base tunnel (GBT) a similar tour de force? Apart from the time gained, what impact AlpTransit Gotthard AG (ATG) built the does this tunnel have? flat track through the Gotthard. The The GBT is far more than two tracks, a longest tunnel in the world, 57 kilometers, lot of concrete and even more technology. with just 0.00014 percent deviation at the Ticino is now closer to Germanspeaking

Bulletin 2 / 2016 — 15 — Gottardo —

Switzerland, the project has made a huge SBB process simply doesn’t work then. contribution to moving road traffic onto And finally, planning the whole timetable rail, and we have earned a positive image in was very demanding, especially in the the world. Every taxpayer can say that he context of the many construction sites. or she made a contribution to this But apart from all of that, the GBT is a achievement. completely normal tunnel (laughs).

And what significance does the GBT have One of the big issues is safety. for the European transportation system? Safety was in fact one of our most The GBT also provides relief for highways important planning criteria. So, for in other countries, and that’s why, for instance, we have two separate tunnels and example, Germany is extending the Upper two emergency stopping stations. Can Rhine line. For one thing, you save I be honest here? I much prefer traveling time from the North Sea port of Hamburg through the new base tunnel than the to Gallarate in Italy. For another, there’s old summit tunnel. greater capacity; we can use longer trains ABOUT PETER JEDELHAUSER with higher clearance. So this makes Why? Peter Jedelhauser, 57, is the director efficient, environmentally friendly Let’s assume the following case. The train of project organization of the Gotthard solutions without traffic jams available to gets stuck. That can happen. Every north/south axis (PONS). He worked meet the logistical needs of our freight 325 meters, one of the 178 connecting for more than twenty years in the energy industry and built hydroelectric power customers. This also offers new options for galleries leads to the other tunnel, where plants and irrigation facilities around the internal Swiss freight traffic. For example, the passengers can take a different train. world. He studied engineering (railway for the first time we can connect Ticino to Ideally after an incident, the train will halt technology) at ETH and has worked for western Switzerland overnight. You at an emergency stop where passengers eleven years at SBB. can ship a container from Ticino in the can use generous evacuation routes to evening and it will arrive in French- escape to safety. In the old summit tunnel, speaking Switzerland in the morning. a transfer like that is nearly impossible. That 1882 structure could have been So the tunnel’s biggest advantages are in expanded to some extent, but it could transporting freight, not passengers? never have been brought up to the To put it simply you could say that the level of the base tunnel. new Gotthard railway is a freight railway with significant benefits for Can you say that the 57 kilometers passenger traffic. through the new tunnel is the safest stretch in Switzerland? From an engineer’s perspective, how I would endorse that statement does the GBT differ from other tunnels in without hesitation. Switzerland? The GBT consists of many complex Speaking of safety, you use the term PROJECT ORGANIZATION systems. Controlling these systems is at “sick train.” What is that? The project organization of the least as challenging as building them. A train that isn’t allowed to enter the north/south axis of Gotthard (PONS) is a SBB Group project and Tunnel system, drainage system, ventilation tunnel. For example, a train whose consists of nine sub-projects. PONS systems, safety systems, controls, tunnel brakes don’t release. A train on which the is responsible for the start-up of the instrumentation – all of this must be tarpaulin over a loaded car is loose. Gotthard and the Ceneri base tunnels, handled by our personnel in a way that A train that has a tank car that is leaking. as well as the four-meter corridor. ensures safe, reliable and on-time rail A train on which the antenna on a car operation at all times. flutters back and forth. A locomotive whose current collector is not perfect. Does the new thinking apply A train that is asymmetrically loaded. to maintenance too? Or a train that is on fire. Absolutely. Imagine that you have to maintain the Zurich-Olten line, which is And you diagnose all these “diseases” about the same length, but you only before the train enters the tunnel? have access from two ends. The standard Yes. Systems have been installed in the

16 — Bulletin 2 / 2016 Photo: Janosch Abel; graphic: © SBB CFF FFS — Gottardo —

Peter Jedelhauser on the Gotthard base tunnel (pictured): “We organized the planning somewhat differently.”

northern and southern tunnel approaches type of rolling stock? What do we do if our customers, not with the technology. that analyze the trains’ rolling stock. These we face difficulties with a construction What do I have to do so that they are train inspection devices discover the permit? What do I do then? What is our satisfied? So they get what they pay for? defects I described before they can cause fallback position? But also: When do greater damage in the tunnel. “Sick trains” I have to initiate it? I can be relatively What do you think? are stopped. calm because we constantly posed First, there has to be a good timetable for these questions and prepared alternatives rail traffic along the entire north/south for every situation. Clearly something axis, for long-distance, regional and freight Every taxpayer can can happen, but I think we are prepared. traffic. In order to implement that timetable, however, I have to expand the say that he or she You are the SBB project manager for the feeder lines because the GBT’s capacity made a contribution to launch of the construction project of the will only matter if the feeder lines can deal century, and yet the whole project fits on one with the increased traffic too. Next I need this achievement. poster here in your small Lucerne office electricity, so I have to build substations. and looks like you’re planning a somewhat Then I need rolling stock, existing and larger Christmas party. How is that possible? new. I need personnel for passenger and It’s just a few months before the tunnel Just to be clear, that is the overview, for freight traffic. And finally, once it’s opens. Do you sometimes wake up or you could call it our cockpit. Altogether opened, operation and maintenance must in the middle of the night thinking, “Have about 1,600 milestones were passed to be ensured. For all of that we must train I forgotten something important?" get to what you see here. our personnel, approximately 2,900 We approached the planning somewhat employees as well as 1,000 external ones. differently than with other, comparable How can so many milestones be processed projects. We proceeded from the risks. without descending into chaos? Do you have all 1,600 milestones What would happen if something By defining work packets and areas that in your head? goes wrong? That led us to many valuable are clearly assigned; in our case there were No, maybe 30 percent. Much more insights. What if we can’t verify a certain nine. We quite consciously began with important than textbook planning is

Photo: Gerry Amstutz Bulletin 2 / 2016 — 17 — Gottardo —

what you do with it. One person is two basic values are especially important in ATG, which built the tunnel, realized responsible for each work packet on that this context. Transparency, even if it hurts. in 2010 during a consultation and poster. Anyone can miss a milestone But in my experience, it hurts more if a reassessment of the construction and and fail to meet a deadline as a result. defect surfaces later. And reliability. In the assembly programs for the GBT What is important then is to ask yourself end, both worked very well. Here I have to that there was a possibility of putting give a huge thank you to my staff. the tunnel into operation a year earlier than planned. While that was So we were ambitious Did anything ever go wrong? fundamentally very good news, it Oh sure! We had repeated difficulties, for was also a major challenge for SBB. but not reckless. example, with construction permits, It meant we had only five instead of six with technological developments, or with years to complete all our work. In fact, the delivery of rolling stock. Precarious that wiped out any time we had to spare. the question: What impact does that have situations, but we were never completely on my colleagues and their work? And helpless because we had already thought Did this make you angry? how can we master and reduce that of alternatives. We could usually fall back Initially I saw a lot of risks and problems. possible impact? This integrated perspec- on a plan B in such difficult situations. But then one day a colleague from tive is a central component of success in ATG said to me, “This is your big chance my opinion. All around the world, these large infrastructure to go full speed ahead.” He was right. projects are notorious for delays, or they If time is short, you end up spending a lot However, it’s not easy for someone to admit aren’t finished at all. The GBT, however, will less time on unnecessary details at the that something is wrong. go into operation a year ahead of time. wrong time. You look for simple, pragmatic That is a question of the culture! To me, How was that possible? solutions and implement them together,

Control room for the Gotthard base tunnel in Pollegio.

18 — Bulletin 2 / 2016 Photo: Alexandra Wey / Keystone — Gottardo —

HISTORY OF THE GBT with a clear focus. So that’s how you asking them, “What do you do if your Half an eternity lies between the first become very efficient too. plan does not work out?” sketch and the celebration of the opening of the Gotthard base tunnel. You can also set goals that are just too high. You are in charge of one of the largest projects And with the GBT, we are talking in Switzerland. In your spare time, are 9015 9017 9019 0021 2020 2010 2000 1990 1980 1970 1960 1950 1940 about a project worth 12 billion Swiss francs. you someone who plans ahead or are you 1947 Engineer Carl Eduard Gruner Clearly, courage is one thing, foolishness more unstructured? outlines the visionary idea for a is something else. In 2011 we made a There’s something else besides those two Gotthard base tunnel. decision. Together we would bet every - options. I am spontaneous. If my daughter, thing on starting regular operations who works at SWISS, asks, “Want to 1963 in December 2016. We also set a point of go with me to New York tomorrow?” and The federation evaluates different return where, two years prior to that, I can arrange it, then I’ll go with her. railway tunnel options. we would once again review the books together and definitelydecide, based Did you often sleep poorly because 1971 on developments and risks, whether it of the project? SBB is tasked with planning would really be December 2016. Yes, often at the beginning. the Erstfeld-Biasca Gotthard base line. So we were ambitious but not reckless. Because it was difficult to set boundaries? Still, there’s hardly any place in the world I try to avoid that expression. Thinking in 1992 The people of Switzerland approve where such giant projects are put intersecting sets is more efficient than the New Transalpine Railway in operation a full year ahead of time. thinking in separate units. When bound- (NEAT) and the construction of new base tunnels at Lötschberg, Why in Switzerland? aries are too fixed, there is an enormously Gotthard and Ceneri. Three reasons: We never had to deal with high probability that something will fall questions of political legitimacy. The between the cracks. project was supported by the population; 1993 Initial drilling probes in the everyone knew that it was a decision How did you prevent such a gigantic Piora basin indicate the most democratically arrived at by the majority. task from consuming you? geo-technically favorable path for the line. Everywhere we encountered a positive It is an illusion to think that you can come attitude. Objections could have made life home, flip the switch, and be somewhere much more difficult for us. There is else in your thoughts. When you’re given 1994 much less support when private business a task like this, it is crucial that you have The “alpine initiative” is accepted by popular vote and protection or governments decide on such a project a real zeal for it, a kind of sacred fire. of the Alps is included in the without broad public support. In addition Personal enthusiasm. And I am unusually Federal Constitution. it is a railway project, and the Swiss lucky because my family is interested have an especially great affinity for that. in what I do. Switching off though, that’s 1995 The Federal Council approves the something I had to learn. I think I line layout between Erstfeld Secondly? do that better today than in the past. and Bodio and the Bodio-Giustizia open line. Second, we had a licensing and authorization agency, the Swiss Federal 1999 Office of Transport, that worked very The tunnel is broached at the expeditiously. Not one construction GBT in November. permit or authorization took more time 2010 than we had planned for it. And third, The main breakthrough between Sedrun and Faido is made both ATG and we at SBB put together at the Gotthard base tunnel. teams that were authorized to make decisions at any time and co-operated constructively. 2016 The GBT will be opened on June 1, and it goes into operation Did you also learn lessons for your personal in December. life through this project? 2020 Your personal life is perhaps one of the The north/south axis will be fully few places where “What if?” and options operational after the opening of the Ceneri base tunnel and the are not always needed. But I was able to four-meter corridor. pass along something to my children by

Bulletin 2 / 2016 — 19 Alfred Escher (1819–1882): The Gotthard visionary never once traveled through the tunnel that was built thanks to him.

20 — Bulletin 2 / 2016 Illustration: Gregory Gilbert-Lodge; photo: Noë Flum / 13 Photos — Gottardo —

The Swiss Miracle How Switzerland, once isolated from the rest of the world, became a modern state: The history of the Gotthard Railway, in which a certain Alfred Escher played the role of his life.

By Joseph Jung

No construction project has affected Swit- the 19th century, Switzerland lacked the zerland as profoundly as the Gotthard Rail- 1882 infrastructure of a modern country. way, which opened on June 1, 1882. It is the GOTTHARD Zurich-born Alfred Escher realized manifestation of a dynamic, open-minded the seriousness of these deficits in the first and innovative Switzerland – the culmi- RAILWAY half of the 19th century. He pointed out the nation of its audacity, courage, pioneering The Gotthard Railway opened urgency of the situation in one of his first spirit and visionary thinking. The rail route on June 1, 1882. As a vital lifeline speeches to the National Council. The rail- finally connected the canton of Ticino with for the Swiss export industry, way lines, he said, were approaching Swit- it was primarily intended for international northern Switzerland, which helped bring transport and opened up zerland from all sides while it stood idly by. its economy to life. As a vital lifeline for economic and cultural relationships The country was at risk of being completely the Swiss export industry, the Gotthard between Italy, Germany circumvented, leaving it as nothing more Railway was primarily intended for inter- and Switzerland. than a forgotten backwater. In fact, Swit- national transport. Initially, it added a new zerland had only one railway – the 23-kilo- dimension to the economic and cultural meter Swiss Northern Railway from Zu- relationships between Italy, Germany and as its linchpin. Little wonder, then, that rich to Baden. Escher’s speech was the start Switzerland. But its significance is even Switzerland held an opening ceremony of a breathtaking performance – “The wider reaching. with pomp and circumstance, treating the Dawn of Modern Switzerland” – in which world to a spectacular show. he played the role of his life as a visionary, The Country Needs Infrastructure If we look back to three decades be- pioneer, politician and economic leader. The tunnel through the Alps turned the fore the Gotthard Railway opened, we find Among the many complex challeng- Gotthard Railway into an international a vastly different Switzerland. It was a es associated with the railway policy after link between northern Europe, the Suez country isolated in so many ways from in- the federal state was founded in 1848, the Canal and the East, with Switzerland dustrialized nations. Until the middle of members of the Swiss parliament had

Photo: Swiss Museum of Transport, Lucerne / Keystone Bulletin 2 / 2016 — 21 — Gottardo —

to answer the all-important question of bridges and tunnels. This raises the ques- zerland in the 1850s/60s and the terrific whether railways should be built and op- tion of whether it would have been better momentum at which railway construction erated by the government or by private for the legal framework in 1852 to restrict speeded up industrialization and vitalized companies. At the same time, the route – at least somewhat – the omnipotence of the national economy prove that Escher had to be defined and construction prior- the private railway companies (which was took the right approach. This is true even in ities set. Escher was well aware of the risks scarcely impacted by the cantons’ authority light of the financial ups and downs that and opportunities behind the political de- to grant concessions) and harmonize rail the railway companies later experienced, cisions being made in Bern for the canton operations for the good of passengers and the numerous takeover battles and the fact of Zurich. He worried that eastern Swit- freight transport. zerland would be largely ignored if the However, discussions like these are railway project was handled by the federal missing the point. At the time – in the government. middle of the 19th century – the only issue was how to build the railway as fast as pos- The Government’s Role sible to secure Switzerland’s existence. At the heart of the political discussion Imagine how the railways would have been about the railway was the question of how built on the government’s watch. Federal to pay for it. This became all the more im- funding was simply not sufficient to pro- portant as the discussion centered not only vide proper support to other infrastructure on the railway project but also on the con- projects alongside establishing the Swiss struction of the Swiss university. For this army. What little money could have gone reason, the Swiss parliament first needed to to the railways would have meant a de- decide what the state’s role was versus what cades-long project to develop the Mittel- fell more logically within the scope of the land region. The other viewpoint is just as 1854 private sector. disheartening: We don’t need a crystal ball The members of parliament balked to imagine how much the members of par- ETH ZURICH at the idea of having to finance two major liament in Bern would have argued about Because Switzerland had no projects – the railway and the university – the routes to be built. schools for the engineers at the same time. Against this backdrop, or technicians, mathematicians or Escher succeeded in separating the two Booming Railways geologists that were in demand issues. Contrary to the wishes of the Na- Luckily, this frightening scenario was due to the railway boom, the Swiss Federal Polytechnic was tional Council committee, he convinced avoided. The facts speak for themselves. founded in 1854. It is now known the majority of the Federal Assembly to The decision of the summer of 1852 gave as the Swiss Federal Institute approve a law that left the construction free rein to Swiss railway construction. of Technology Zurich. Alfred Escher and operation of the railways to the pri- Switzerland experienced a railway boom remained part of the vate sector. As a result, the Railway Act unlike any other in Europe. Railway com- institute’s management committee essentially excluded the federal govern- panies were sprouting up everywhere. until his death. ment and accorded it no legal means to Less than ten years later, Mittelland was intervene. It did not even have supervisory connected; the tracks were in place from authority over the railway companies and Lake Constance to Lake Geneva. Alfred could only decide on routes for reasons of Escher himself – cantonal councilor, military policy. member of the Grand Council and Na- This vote in the summer of 1852 was tional Council and much more – also han- the decision of the century; it had a funda- dled operational management of the mental influence on the economic and so- Swiss Northeastern Railway (1853), one cial development of Switzerland. In fact, of the largest railway companies. He had that most companies were later acquired by once the matter had been decided, private a new main station built in Zurich foreign holdings and then nationalized at railway companies began to appear around (1865/71) and made the “City on the the start of the 20th century. Thanks to pri- the country. They wanted to build as fast as Limmat” a transportation hub. vate companies, Switzerland soon caught they could – faster than the competition, Even in retrospect, the incredible up with neighboring countries in the sec- and on the best possible route with few pace at which railways were built in Swit- ond half of the 19th century. Literally from

22 — Bulletin 2 / 2016 Photo: Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich library, image archive / photographer unknown / Ans_02467/CCBY-SA 4.0 — Gottardo —

one year to the next, private rail transport panies incorporate and funded public in- ing, negotiated with Swiss, German and was able to provide the transport capacity frastructure such as streets. Through the Italian decision-makers, and sought the needed for the domestic market. bank, Escher turned Zurich into the finan- best people for the project. This included cial center of Switzerland. Geneva-born Louis Favre, whose company A Business and Financial Center won the contract to build the 15 km tunnel. The 1852 decision turned out to be a lucky Heading South Back then, the Gotthard Railway was one not only in terms of railway policy, as In the 1860s, Switzerland almost missed euphorically declared the Swiss wonder of Switzerland was in danger of losing its out on another stage in Europe’s develop- the world that would take travelers in the foothold in other areas during the middle ment, as it still had no north-south line Belle Epoque along “the world’s most pic- of the 19th century. The railway boom through the Alps. France and Austria were turesque route” through the Gotthard. needed trained professionals who could already building Alpine railways. Various Even in the 21st century, the ingenious de- meet the demands of railway companies. versions of a transalpine link had been dis- sign, generous planning and technical per- Routes had to be built under the best topo- cussed but never finalized. There were proj- formance and characteristics behind the graphic conditions. Train stations had to ects from Lukmanier via Splügen to the Gotthard Railway’s design and construc- be built, bridges constructed and tunnels Simplon pass. Faced with this situation, tion are still amazing. planned. Alfred Escher backed the Gotthard project The orld’sw largest construction site However, Switzerland had no schools and became chairman of the Gotthard was created between Airolo and for engineers or technicians, mathemati- Railway Company in 1871. To make this Göschenen. Thousands of workers flocked cians or geologists. Thus, in 1854, what is monumental plan a reality, Escher threw all from abroad, mainly Italy. While the Gott- now known as the Swiss Federal Institute his economic and political weight behind hard Railway is without a doubt a true of Technology Zurich was founded. Here, it. He took care of the budget and financ- masterpiece even today, some of the private too, Escher made his mark. Escher re- housing or Favre company barracks where mained part of the institute’s management the workers lived were notorious for their committee until his death. The school pro- terrible hygiene conditions. The working moted knowledge transfer from theory to conditions in the tunnel itself were also practice. The professors, most of whom extremely tough. Many tunnel workers were from foreign countries, were pioneers were ill and fell victim to epidemics. More in the area of scientific research. Simply than 300 people died during the construc- put, the institute set the foundation for tion work, not including the guest workers Switzerland as a center of research. who died as a result of illness or injury However, a lack of funds also posed after returning home. major financial challenges to the railways. Because Switzerland had no commercial A Hero’s Tragic Fall banks at the time, they had to obtain capi- Of all things, it was the historic Gotthard tal elsewhere. However, foreign lenders and project that became Escher’s biggest per- investors wanted a say in the development sonal defeat and the greatest disappoint- of the Swiss railway companies, even when ment of his life. In 1878 he had to leave it came to route planning. Escher, for his the construction project due to ultimately part, did not welcome this influence. He minor budget overruns. It was the end of decided Switzerland needed its own finan- 1856 his era. Switzerland had changed and di- cial infrastructure, and in 1856 he founded KREDITANSTALT rect democracy (1874) brought a new Schweizerische Kreditanstalt, now known identity. “We are a dying breed,” Escher as Credit Suisse. One year later he founded ZÜRICH told a friend. The pioneers of the founding Schweizerische Lebensversicherungs- und In 1856, Escher founded generation were old, many of them al- Rentenanstalt, now known as Swiss Life. the Schweizerische Kreditanstalt – ready dead. Escher was becoming a relic today’s Credit Suisse – in order By founding the bank, Escher first covered of a bygone era. to finance the railroad companies. the financial needs of his Northeastern The Schweizerische He became “persona non grata” with Railway. The bank also became the engine Lebensversicherungs- und the Gotthard Railway and in 1880 no one of the Swiss economy. It provided venture Rentenanstalt (Swiss Life) even mentioned his name during the capital to private companies, helped com- followed in 1857. breaking through ceremony. Two years

Photo: Wikimedia Commons Bulletin 2 / 2016 — 23 — Gottardo —

Who Should Pay for It? Public funds scarcely played a role in the construction later, he was initially left off the guest list for the opening of the Gotthard Railway in project in 1882. The new base tunnel, on the other hand, Lucerne – a list that included some 360 is being financed solely through taxes and duties. Italian and 100 German members of no- bility and dignitaries, plus 400 Swiss guests. At the last minute, the Swiss president did At the international Gotthard confer- form of bitter feuds: disparaging slurs invite him, but Escher was already very ill ence in Bern in 1869, a cost of 187 mil- and invectives, which Escher felt subject- and could not make the trip to Lucerne. lion Swiss francs was estimated for the ed to. The cost issue ultimately forced Thus he never noticed that neither the construction of the Gotthard route him to step down as chairman of the president nor any other speakers men- (about 1.5 billion Swiss francs today). Gotthard Railway Company (1878). tioned his name. He never traveled through Around one third was allotted for the However, before he signed his letter of the tunnel either. While Alfred Escher tunnel between Göschenen and Airolo, resignation, he felt obligated to mitigate never received thanks from his native and two thirds for the remaining sections the complex problem of additional costs country, today his initiatives and predic- from Immensee to Chiasso. Of this total and carry out a restructuring effort. tions, not to mention his commitment to cost, 102 million would be obtained from He succeeded in reducing the addi- the good of Switzerland, are seen in a much the international financial market, while tional costs to 40 million Swiss francs. Of different light. After all, he made by far the 85 million would be guaranteed as subsi- that amount, Escher was able to acquire biggest contribution to the birth of modern dies by Germany (20 million), Italy 12 million francs in tough negotiations Switzerland. (45 million) and Switzerland (20 mil- on the international financial markets. lion). The 15 cantons and three cities that Germany and Italy took on another had joined the Swiss Confederation con- 10 million each. Switzerland committed tributed to those payments. Only 13 mil- itself to a total of 8 million Swiss francs lion Swiss francs were collected in this (Treaty of 1878), which would be divided way. It took the private Swiss Northeast- up in turn among the individual cantons ern Railway and Swiss Central Railway and the two major private rail companies companies, which took on one third of – an unrealistic expectation overall. In the funding guaranteed by Switzerland – this situation, the Federal Council pro- 7 million Swiss francs – as well as an ad- posed a subsidy of 6.5 million francs to ditional 9 million in investment capital Parliament. After emotional debates that that the two companies had already made were humiliating for Escher, a subsidy available. amounting to 4.5 million Swiss francs The percentage of public funds was approved. So the Confederation ulti- provided by Switzerland came to a mere mately did participate in Switzerland’s 7 percent, which is to say that the federal international rail route that opened in government did not pay one centime 1882, even if it only covered around during this phase. By contrast, the com- 2 percent of the costs. panies managed by Alfred Escher – the The New Transalpine Railway Schweizerische Kreditanstalt and the (NEAT), on the other hand, is being Swiss Northeastern Railway – assumed funded entirely by the public sector, i.e., more than 11 percent of the costs. with taxes and duties. According to offi- cial data, the cost of NEAT, including Too Costly the Lötschberg, Gotthard and Ceneri The Gotthard Railway Company fell Base Tunnels, will amount to around into a financial crisis in 1875. The 1869 23 billion Swiss francs. The money cost estimates for construction were too comes from the FinöV fund for large- low. The reasons were diverse: higher scale railway projects, financed by a Joseph Jung is a historian, publicist and managing costs due to incorrect technical calcula- heavy goods vehicle tax (60 percent), director of the Alfred Escher Foundation. tions, higher wage and material costs, petroleum tax (10 percent) and value He has published extensive works on Switzerland’s flooding in the tunnel and approach added tax (30 percent). economic and cultural history from the 19th cen- routes, and a complete lack of experience Author: Joseph Jung tury to the present. His biography of Alfred Escher is a bestseller: “Switzerland’s success story | The life in dealing with Gotthard granite. The rift between the Board of Governors and the and work of Alfred Escher (1819–1882)” www.briefedition.alfred-escher.ch chief engineer also became public in the www.alfred-escher.ch

24 — Bulletin 2 / 2016 Residence & Apartments

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Residence | Apartments | Restaurant | Bar | Café Gustav-Gull-Platz 5 | 8004 Zurich | T: +41 (0)44 250 65 00 | [email protected] | gustav-zuerich.ch ECONOMIC RESEARCH RESETTING THE CLOCKS ON THE GOTTHARD MASSIF

The railway shapes Switzerland. Like arteries, it connects the country’s regions, transports people and goods, and supplies the population and the economy. After the road-building euphoria of the 1960s, it now reigns as the key factor for commerce, spatial development and tourism. The formative influence of the railway network was made clear in the growth of the railway town Olten. New streetcar and tram lines triggered a construction boom in its communities that is still in evidence today.

Will the NEAT change Switzerland? Definitely! In a comprehensive study, Credit Suisse Economic Research investigated its economic impact – who will be the winners, and whether there will also be losers. The central topics are the movement of goods, increased accessibility, day-trip tourism, real estate markets and the gateway train stations in BASEL, ZURICH, LUCERNE BELLINZONA Altdorf and Bellinzona. In addition to 1 MINUS 42 MIN the “clear view of the Mediterranean,”

26 — Bulletin 2 / 2016 Illustration: Crafft ECONOMIC RESEARCH

CONTENTS the NEAT could speed the connection 52 minutes The NEAT will 3,150 m2 of office to the product markets of Asia faster from Zurich merge the various and commer- and make labor markets more flexible. to Lugano housing markets cial space under AVAILABILITY OF PUBLIC HOUSING MARKET construction at the Alpine transit was reinvented in 1882, TRANSPORTATION → P. 31 NEAT station in → P. 28 when the Gotthard Railway was Bellinzona 40 million tons: built. Although the visionaries of 120,000 m2 DEVELOPMENT REGION Annual cargo → P. 35 that time focused on the economic commercial and capacity will double benefits of the tunnel, they could industrial area MOVEMENT OF GOODS 260,000 more hardly foresee all the effects of the at the new Altdorf → P. 32 people can reach construction project. Likewise, the cantonal railway the Locarno station NEAT could facilitate things that are 70,000 Swiss catchment area as not even remotely apparent today. DEVELOPMENT REGION francs: day tourists → P. 30 cost to build one TOURISM The Credit Suisse Economic Research project team: meter of the Base Thomas Rühl (head), Simon Hurst, Sara Carnazzi A condominium → P. 36 Weber, Jan Schüpbach, Tim Maurer Tunnel in Lugano today TUNNEL VIEW 42 % of the work- costs → P. 34 41 % more force could work than a comparable independent of one in Bellinzona. location LABOR MARKET → P. 37

1 As of 2020, BELLINZONA LUGANO LUGANO LOCARNO according to information 1 1 MINUS 10 MIN MINUS 29 MIN available today

Bulletin 2 / 2016 — 27 ECONOMIC RESEARCH

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SWITZERLAND GROWS CLOSER Long distances and extended travel time act as grit in the gears of the economy. They slow the flow of goods, commuter travel and cooperation between regions. Easily accessible locations enjoy better opportunities for growth.

British geologist Charles Greville was the first to cross the Gotthard Pass by coach in 1775. To ac- complish this feat, he needed 78 assistants who dismantled the coach and carried it by hand across obstacles. In contrast, the access road opened in 1830 represented great progress. Until the first Alpine tunnel opened at the end of the 19th cen- tury, routes into southern Switzerland still re- mained arduous; accordingly, there was little com- mercial trade. Much faster connections on rail and road have turned crossing the Alps from a trying journey into a walk in the park. Unlike Goethe, who

Bellinzona benefits the most from NEAT

only managed to make the trip three times in his life – a person might now make the journey annu- ally, weekly or even daily. The NEAT will boost the accessibility of the Ticino and Uri regions. Their catchment areas will increase in size; they will grow closer to the major metropolitan areas. In order to quantify this im- pact, Credit Suisse Research modeled the entire More attractive thanks to greater accessibility: Lugano city center. public transportation plan on the opening of the Gotthard and Ceneri Base Tunnels. The catch- ment areas of all Swiss towns were calculated on the basis of all 450 million connections between every populated square kilometer and journey time preferences. The effect of foreign metropol- itan areas was also included.1 Accessibility is de- fined as the sum of all accessible persons weighted according to the likelihood that they would under-

28 — Bulletin 2 / 2016 Photo: Martin Rütschi / Keystone ECONOMIC RESEARCH

Public transport accessibility of the Swiss population Synthetic indicator, km2, changes from 2016 timetable Schaffhausen and the 2020 modeled timetable

Basel Accessibility

St. Gallen high low Aarau Delémont Frauenfeld

Zurich Solothurn Zug

Neuchâtel

Bern

Lucerne Glarus +15 % Altdorf Chur + 13,200 people Fribourg Lausanne

Gotthard Base Tunnel

+23 % Bellinzona + 33,000 people

Geneva Sion + 24 % Ceneri Base Tunnel Locarno + 21,000 people +8.5 % Lugano Chiasso +23,300 people

Source: search.ch, Geostat, Credit Suisse Credit Geostat, search.ch, Source:

take such a trip. Transport connections play a key two sections of the canton. Companies have a role when companies choose their location and larger area for recruiting staff, and those looking people their place of residence. Easily accessible for work have more choices. In percentage terms, regions are more attractive and therefore have Locarno shows the greatest improvement. The more favorable economic prospects. much faster connection to Lugano – without the hairpin turn in Giubiasco – expands the catch- More Traffic – More Development ment area by 24 percent or 21,000 persons. Metropolitan areas demonstrate the highest ac- cessibility or centrality; peripheral and mountain- AUTHORS: THOMAS RÜHL AND JAN SCHÜPBACH ous areas, of course, achieve lower values. In con- trast to individual transportation, accessibility by means of public transportation is highest in the proximity of long-distance train stations. The Greater Zurich area ranks highest in terms of ac- cessibility, followed by Basel and Bern. In addition to transport connections, an area’s population density is key, which explains Altdorf’s relatively low score. The new cantonal train station with a direct connection to Zurich increases Altdorf’s commuter catchment area by 13,200 persons or by 15 percent. Bellinzona benefits the most from NEAT: The size of its catchment area increases by 33,000 persons. Faster connections to the Lugano area 1 Further information: Locational quality make Bellinzona more attractive for commuters of the Swiss cantons and regions. and are likely to intensify exchange between the Credit Suisse 2013.

Bulletin 2 / 2016 — 29 ECONOMIC RESEARCH

DEVELOPMENT REGION: ALTDORF IS HISTORY REPEATING ITSELF? The Altdorf railway station will connect Uri to the NEAT. What the new link will bring to the canton – and what it won’t.

very limited. All the more important, then, are comprehensive land use planning and improved accessibility within the canton, as Uri is now striving to achieve. Indeed, in its bid to draw companies, jobs and tax revenues to Altdorf, Uri is dedicating its last large, contiguous land reserve to the new commercial quarter. The hoped-for 1,300 additional jobs would equal one-tenth of the canton’s current employment total. Although the Uri Valley development project is a de- cades-long undertaking, the expecta- tions are ambitious – the number of job-holders in the canton is on the de- Preliminary sketch of the Altdorf railway station, expected to open in 2021. cline. However, it might be possible to re- verse this trend. The anticipated addition of 170 to 260 new residents in Altdorf The builders of the first Gotthard line in In addition, the canton is building a com- seems realistic. The InterCity train stop 1882 did not want to detour through Alt- plex with 120,000 square meters of com- also makes Altdorf more attractive to dorf. They drew the tracks through the mercial and industrial space adjacent to commuters. Uri valley in a straight line from Flüelen the railway line. The area between the Nevertheless, the “Gotthard boom” to Erstfeld. They placed the train sta- Reuss River, the freeway and the tracks, will probably not be repeated in the same tion in the middle of the Reuss plain, far once difficult to access and hardly used, order of magnitude. In 1882, the railway from the village center, despite protests will become a highly developed center of offered an efficient alternative to mule from the canton’s residents. But the growth in Uri. According to official calcu- paths and gravel roads. Today, a heavily railway brought commercial and indus- lations, this could bring 1,300 to 1,400 traveled road and rail transit axis already trial activity, which meant a surge in new jobs and 170 to 260 new residents to passes through the canton. Neverthe- growth for Altdorf. About 140 years the vicinity around the train station. The less, the new traffic plan and better con- later, it seems that history will repeat it- cost for the public authorities and the nections are already drawing the Uri Val- self. Starting in 2021, the Intercity Ba- Swiss Federal Railways (SBB): approxi- ley closer to the economic hubs in the sel–Lugano train, which passes through mately 80 million Swiss francs, not in- central plateau of the Mittelland. Fur- the Gotthard Base Tunnel, will stop in cluding construction of the new train thermore, as a member of the Greater Altdorf every two hours. There will also station itself. Zurich Area marketing association since be an hourly InterRegio train, and for 2016, the canton already belongs in spirit commuters, morning and evening, the Uri Seizes Its Opportunity to that economic region. “Innerschweizer Sprinter,” a direct con- On the whole, Uri ranks below average in nection to Zug and Zurich. terms of locational quality. Much of the AUTHOR: SIMON HURST This time around, Altdorf is ready canton is mountainous terrain, with only for the Gotthard railway. A new cantonal 2 percent suitable for development. Of train station will be a central hub on the that, more than 40 percent is occupied by valley floor, where four-fifths of the can- transport infrastructure – roads, high- ton’s residents live. The bus service is be- ways and railways. Many of these are na- ing reorganized, expanded and sched- tional routes. As a result, options for uled to work with the new connections. making the canton more attractive are

30 — Bulletin 2 / 2016 Image: Germann & Achermann AG Source: “Wüest & Partner” Photo: fotoember/fotolia future, increasingly opt to live inBellinzona. Inthe L ers andhomeowners whomove to theoutskirts of Tunnel in he inzona; for homeowners, thepricedifference is a 17 percent more persquare meter thaninBell- lower housingcosts inthecanton’s capital. will becomemor utes, livinginBellinzona andworking inLugano ket. Withanew commute timeof onlytwelve min- will bedecisive for Ticino’s primaryhousingmar Base Tunnel –NEAT’s southernsegment –that however, ( no’s appealasalocation for primaryresidences more flexible work schedules, couldbolster Tici Tunnel, combinedwithnew technologies and The timesavings promised by the Gotthard Base Bellinz fect onthe Ticino housing market. mand, there isconsiderable interest inNEAT’s ef- factors that strongly influence real estate de Since accessibilityto transportation isamongthe increased by 68and32percent, respectively. Prices intheBellinzona region and Tre Valli have w age since2000. The Lugano region hasledthe lowed the Swiss trend, rising76 percent onaver- In thecanton of Ticino, housingpriceshave fol- The Ceneri Base Tunnel isbringing Ticino see page37). The impact onhousingprices, ugano to escape highhousingpricesmay, inthe ay, withpricesshooting upward by 96percent. fty 41 percent. The openingof the Ceneri Base +41 % +41 Renters inLugano today pay on average ona Gains Appeal ona Gains 2020 is likelyto bemarginal. expensive than in Bellinzona: +17 % Living in Lugano is more closer together for renters andhomeowners. could reduce thisdisparity. Rent LIVE INBELLINZONA, e appealing, given significantly WORK INLUGANO

rents home prices It’s the Ceneri ECONOMIC RESEARCH REAL ESTATE MARKET - - - -

cance willincrease. demand slightly. reached. Better accessibilityislikely to increase quota for secondaryresidences has not yet been are Lugano andBellinzona, where thecritical construction isnolongerallowed. The exceptions a highpercentage of secondary residences, new most a stricted by thesecondhomeinitiative. Since the tential for demand, new construction isalsore- owners of secondhomes. Beyond thelimited po transportation would becomemore attractive for places of residence more efficient. Thenpublic could make travel from central train stations to quently for travel to vacation homes. Public transportation islikely to beusedinfre v particular, secondhomesinthemountains and 19 percent of vacation andgetaway travel. In cal Office, public transportation isused foronly demand; according to the S market. There islimited potential for increased fundamental changesto thesecondaryhousing Bellinzona: Demandfor homesshouldincrease. wake of NEAT, Bellinzona’s residential signifi AUTHOR:MAURER TIM alleys are usuallydifficult to reach by train orbus. The In thelongt ttractive Ticino communities already have Gotthard Base Tunnel isunlikely to bring real es erm, h owever, tate markets wiss Feder self-driving al Sta tisti cars ultn 06 31 — 2 /2016 Bulletin - - - -

ECONOMIC RESEARCH

GOODS TRAFFIC A “SUBWAY” FOR TRADE The NEAT was designed as a corridor for transporting goods. Now, almost 30 years after planning began, it is clear that this new route will indeed shift some traffic from the roads to the rails – but not as much as originally predicted.

Slow, ungainly and laborious: These were the less allowed to use the roads since 2001 (the previous than complimentary adjectives used to describe limit was 28 tons), and another is the introduc- Switzerland’s Alpine crossings in a statement tion of a capacity-linked levy on heavy vehicles about the New Transalpine Railway (NEAT) that (LSVA). Despite substantial progress, it will not was released by the Federal Council in 1990. It be possible to reach the ambitious goal set for noted that with the flow of freight increasing, 2018 – as the Federal Council has conceded. That Switzerland needed to take active steps to main- goal, set by law, was to eliminate 650,000 truck tain its position in European transport – and hold trips per year. a chip in reserve for negotiating with the EU (then the European Community). NEAT was thus con- How Will NEAT Help? ceived as a means of facilitating the transport of This big question is this: What difference will freight. A state-of-the-art flat railway line through NEAT make in shifting traffic from road to rail? A the Alps was intended to handle increased transit flat railway through the Alps will become a reality traffic and boost theailways’ r declining market in 2020. With the Gotthard and Ceneri base tun- shares. nels, trains traveling from Rotterdam and Genoa The volume of freight transported through will no longer have to contend with steep climbs. the Alps by road and rail doubled between 1980 and 2014, from 50 to 100 million tons. Today 40 percent of this freight goes through the Swiss Alps, the other 60 percent through Austria or France. The railways are in a stronger position in Switzerland than in neighboring countries be- cause of the Swiss policy, anchored in law, of seeking to shift traffic from the roads to the rail- ways. Nearly 70 percent of the freight that goes through the Alps in Switzerland is transported by rail (Austria: 30 percent, France: 15 percent). Trade between Germany and Italy accounts for Which has priority, freight or passenger trains? most of this traffic (40 percent); transports be- tween the Benelux countries and Italy make up another 30 percent. Ranking third in importance is At its highest point, the tunnel will be 550 meters trade between the German- and Italian-speaking above sea level, the altitude of the city of Bern. regions of Switzerland. The benefits for freight traffic are obvious: more Freight traffic is continuing to shift from the freight per train, fewer locomotives and person- roads to the railways. In the year 2000, there were nel, shorter travel times and reduced energy con- still some 1.4 million trucks on Switzerland’s sumption. However, certain issues remain. NEAT Alpine roads; since then the number has dropped will not fulfill its full potential until the entire route to 1 million – a decrease of 28 percent. That is an from Basel to the container terminals in northern impressive accomplishment, particularly since the Italy is capable of accommodating longer and total volume of freight transported through the taller trains. This requires expanding tunnel height Swiss Alps has increased by 32 percent over the to four meters. same period. It should be noted, however, that one According to official projections, thanks to reason for the decline in the number of truck trips NEAT the number of freight transports crossing is that trucks weighing up to 40 tons have been the Alps by truck will be reduced by 240,000 by

32 — Bulletin 2 / 2016 Photo: © SBB CFF FFS ECONOMIC RESEARCH

Transalpine freight traffic Road vs. rail (volume) through Switzerland In millions of tons

40 Road Most important routes (volume) Rail

Flows of freight in millions of tons (2014), 30 by route (road and rail)

20 France–Italy 2

UK–Italy 1 10

Scandinavia–Italy 0.5

0 Source: ASTRA BAV, (Swiss Federal Roads Authority), BFS (Swiss Federal Statistical Office) 1980 1990 2000 2015

Other routes 5 Road (trips) Germany*–Italy 15 In thousands of trucks

1,600 Northern Switzerland– Italy 1,200 All Alpine 5 crossings Gotthard

800 Benelux*–Italy 11 Target: eliminate 650,000 400 trucks from the roads by 2018

0 Source: ASTRA, BAV, BFS * A large percentage of trade with the Far East goes through the ports of Rotterdam, Hamburg and Antwerp. Source: BAV (Federal Office of Transport), CAFT (Cross Alpine Freight Transport) 1981 1991 2001 2015

2030. Since overall freight traffic is increasing, ing another. The design allows for six freight trains however, the number of truck trips is still likely to and two passenger trains to travel through the tun- rise in the long term. The potential of rail traffic will nel each hour and in each direction. The freight not be fully realized until the entire corridor be- trains will be kept in holding areas at either end of tween Genoa and the north is modernized. Even the tunnel and then sent through the tunnel be- then, it is difficult to predict how much the route tween the passenger trains, which will run every will be utilized. It depends on a number of factors half hour. – such as the state of expansion in Italy and Ger- many and slot management along the entire route Necessary, If Not Yet at the Goal (priority for freight or passenger trains?). Another reason for the likely increase in the vol- ume of freight transported is the growing appeal Remaining Obstacles of ports in northern Italy. Those ports have played The benefits of NEAT are limited by the capacity of a relatively minor role in trade between Europe Italian feeder routes. Accordingly, the Swiss gov- and the Far East so far, owing to the large capac- ernment has agreed to provide a loan equivalent ity of ports in northern Europe. With Rotterdam, to 300 million Swiss francs to support expansion Hamburg and Antwerp reaching the limits of their projects in Italy. The strong Swiss franc is also caus- capacity, however, and with the NEAT Gotthard ing headaches for those responsible for rail logis- Base Tunnel to open soon, investments in Italian tics. Costs are incurred in francs, while revenues port facilities and transport infrastructure have are in euros. In addition, low diesel prices reduce risen sharply. the attractiveness of the railways relative to trans- The bottom line is this: More and more freight port by road. will be transported through the Alps. The burden But the railways are not without their chal- on the roads will not be reduced as much as origi- lenges. The Swiss rail network is the most heavily nally envisioned. But it is important to note that traveled in the world, and while passenger trains without NEAT, we would soon reach a point at travel through the Gotthard Base Tunnel at speeds which no one would choose to drive to Ticino un- of up to 200 km/h, freight trains cannot exceed ap- less absolutely necessary. There would be a lineup proximately 100 km/h. The greater the difference in of trucks stretching from Basel to Lugano. speed, the greater the distance that must be main- tained between trains to prevent one from overtak- AUTHOR: SIMON HURST

Bulletin 2 / 2016 — 33 ECONOMIC RESEARCH

TUNNEL CONSTRUCTION THROUGH THE WALL Tunnel construction is one of the things Switzerland does best. Not quite so clear, on the other hand, is the economic benefitof these expensive construction projects.

Through the middle of the 20th century, con- Swiss tunnel lengths struction of tunnels in Switzerland was limited al- most exclusively to railway tunnels. Then begin- Total tunnel length in km ning in 1980, hundreds of kilometers of road 1,000 tunnels were added to the national transportation 750 Railway tunnels network along with the expansion of the inter- Roadway tunnels state system. Now a second era of the railway 500 tunnel is dawning with the NEAT. Between the

years 2000 and 2020, total tunnel length is set to 250 double from 400 to some 800 kilometers.

Tunnels are among the most expensive struc- 0 Society Tunneling Swiss Source: tures. Take the Gotthard Base Tunnel, for instance. 1850–1889 1890–1929 1930–1969 1970–2019 When the investment of just over 10 billion Swiss francs is allocated across the entire tunnel length been shortened by 30 to 60 minutes, making it pos- of 153 kilometers (including transverse and con- sible to live in Brig and to work in Bern. necting tunnels), the cost comes to around 70,000 Leisure travel has seen an even greater in- Swiss francs per meter. But what impact does a crease. The number of day trippers and multi-day direct connection through a mountain actually tourists in the Canton of Valais has increased. Just represent? Often, the aim is to promote remote how much of that is attributable to the tunnel is dif- regions, as in the case of the Furka Base Tunnel ficult to say. To find out more, users of the Lötsch- between Oberwald (Valais) and Realp (Uri). The berg Base Tunnel were quizzed on their travel hab- Vereina Tunnel between Klosters and Sagliains its. Of those surveyed, two out of three responded (Graubünden) opened in 1999 was also intended to that they would have simply used the former moun- boost the economy and tourism in an area known tain route rather than the new base tunnel. for its weak infrastructure. The Grimsel Tunnel is But what happens in the regions along the the next railway project on the table. Three tunnels mountain route? Here, too, a comparison with spanning a total length of 22 kilometers will con- Lötschberg: Overnight stays and populations re- nect Oberwald and Innertkirchen (Bern). mained level in Kandertal and in Lötschental, where As it happens, the Vereina Tunnel did result there had been fears that tourism would suffer. in a higher number of overnight stays in the Lower Leventina on the southern side of the Gotthard Engadine. Direct effects to the rest of the econ- Pass also has concerns about its potential, while omy, however, could not be ascertained. Accessi- Uri hopes to see an increase in tourism from the bility is in fact a locational factor – but remains south. Yet with the Gotthard, too, no major upheav- only one of many. als can be expected. Despite their location on a highly traveled north-south route, the situation in The Lessons of Lötschberg the regions on both sides of the Gotthard Tunnel There is scarcely any comparison between the was no bed of roses to begin with, even before the Gotthard Base Tunnel and the projects mentioned NEAT. The megatrends of recent decades – migra- above. It was not designed to be an alternative to tion towards the regional metropolitan centers, ag- an avalanche-prone pass road but rather to relieve ing and rising unemployment – are likely to be at a highly traveled transit route. In order to assess least as pivotal for the future of the region as the the impacts on the neighboring regions, the best opening of the base tunnel. option is to consider the Lötschberg Base Tunnel The quality of the Swiss transportation net- between Frutigen (Bern) and Raron (Valais) – the work is already above average, so that the effect of second NEAT axis. In effect, the Lötschberg Base improvements and expansions is not as pronounced Tunnel moved the Canton of Valais closer to the as it would be if it had been necessary to begin at a metropolitan centers of the Mittelland central pla- lower level. teau. And accordingly, the effects can be seen mostly in the southern canton. Travel times have AUTHOR: SIMON HURST

34 — Bulletin 2 / 2016 ECONOMIC RESEARCH

BELLINZONA DEVELOPMENT AREA A NEW GATEWAY TO TICINO A new connection is bringing Bellinzona closer to German-speaking Switzerland. But the new railway link through the Alps, known as NEAT, is having a much greater effect within Ticino itself.

Ticino. In addition to providing a transit link between two distinct regions, the Ceneri Base Tunnel might contribute to the consolidation of northern and south- ern Ticino as economic areas. As Bellinzona takes on its role as a gateway to the south, the city is com- pletely renovating its railway station. Longer platforms and an additional track are increasing its capacity, while a mod- ern station building offers space for shops and offices. The NEAT is expected to double the number of passengers within ten years – and Bellinzona hopes to welcome them in style. A larger bus terminal and many new public transpor- The new train station in Bellinzona will open in 2016 (visualization). tation connections will follow, according to the plans. The railway station buildings alone cost 36 million Swiss francs. In ad- The Gotthard Railway triggered a boom in In terms of bringing outsiders to town, if dition, the city plans to upgrade its sight- Bellinzona at the beginning of the 20th it does so at all, the new tunnel will favor seeing attractions and draw additional century. Most new jobs were related to day-trippers and weekend tourists. Al- tourists. Bellinzona plans to reorganize the railway itself; the workshops quickly though travel time is greatly reduced, politically as well: The consolidation of became the region’s most important em- the business centers of German-speak- 16 agglomeration communes to form a ployers, and, along with the cantonal ad- ing Switzerland are still too far away to city of 50,000 inhabitants has sur- ministration, they remain so to this day. be convenient for commuters. Mean- mounted the first political hurdles. However, many other industrial compa- while, even when joined by the tunnel, As a result, Ticino and Bellinzona nies also profited from their location on the Uri Valley and Bellinzona are too could see more dynamic economic devel- the north-south axis. In addition, the rail- small to merge into an economic region opment in the coming years. The region way made Ticino accessible to tourists. of their own. already ranks second only to Lugano in The population of Bellinzona quickly grew. On the other hand, within Ticino it- population growth in the canton, a trend At the time, nobody anticipated that self the situation is quite different. Bel- that will continue as Bellinzona becomes more than a century later the city would linzona – like the other regions of north- an active NEAT hub. become a major NEAT hub. The original ern Ticino – ranks below average as a plan called for the NEAT trains to detour location for business, in part because ac- AUTHOR: SIMON HURST around Ticino’s capital via another tunnel cessibility, the availability of a highly through the mountain flank west of the qualified workforce and attractive tax city – in part to shield the densely popu- conditions are relatively limited. The new lated area from noise. A new railway sta- railway connection improves the situa- tion was to be built in Camorino, a hub tion, because the base tunnels improve southeast of Bellinzona. There, before accessibility to the north and especially the north portal of the Ceneri Base Tun- to the south. nel, the tracks to Lugano, Locarno and Bellinzona come together. Against the Double the Number of Passengers? wishes of Ticino, this detour was cut from The travel time to Lugano through the the NEAT program. As a result, coming Ceneri Base Tunnel will drop by half, to from the north, Bellinzona is the first stop just 12 minutes in 2020. The NEAT will after the Gotthard Base Tunnel. thus have strong regional effects in

Image: © SBB CFF FFS Bulletin 2 / 2016 — 35 ECONOMIC RESEARCH

TOURISM A DAY IN THE SUN The number of day trips to Ticino can be expected to increase. Hotels may also benefit ifthey make certain adjustments.

South of the Alps, the sun shines around one- Expansion of tourist regions and-a-half times as often as it does in northern 2 Switzerland. Weary of foggy weather, people per km , public transportation, changes between the 2016 train schedule and the proposed 2020 schedule from the German-speaking region of Switzerland are willing to travel fairly long distances to get Chur away for a day. And of course, Ticino has more to Stans offer tourists than just sunshine. Travel time is Sarnen Altdorf crucial when planning an excursion, since at some point it isn’t worthwhile to make the trip unless you spend the night. Gotthard Base Tunnel According to the Swiss Federal Statistical Office, 47 percent of day trips take no more than an hour each way. Only eight percent of day-trip- pers are willing to spend two hours and 41 min- utes, one way, on the train – the time it now takes Bellinzona to go from Zurich to Lugano. With NEAT, travel Locarno time will drop to an hour and 49 minutes, making Ticino a much more attractive destination for a Ceneri Base Tunnel casual day trip; this is acceptable to 25 percent of Lugano potential visitors. With NEAT reducing the time spent traveling, the number of visitors to the Bel- linzona region will increase by 380,000, or 73 per- Chiasso cent. The number of people who would consider Number of day-trippers in the region will increase by taking a day trip to Locarno, a popular tourist des-

tination, would rise by 260,000; 315,000 more 0 180,000 380,000 Suisse Credit Geostat, search.ch, Source: people would be willing to travel to Lugano. So NEAT can be expected to increase the number of day trips to Ticino. Restaurants would benefit from more business at lunchtime, and at- does not expect to see a decline in the total num- tractions such as the Monte San Giorgio fossil ber of overnight stays. Certainly the Lötschberg museum would draw more visitors. Furthermore, Base Tunnel did not have that effect. If Ticino’s the time advantage of rail travel over driving (with hotels seize this opportunity to appeal to NEAT the risk of traffic delays) might induce visitors users, the new base tunnel may well increase their from the north to take the train more often. business. Vacation destinations in Uri and the Leven- Quicker in Both Directions tina valley will see little change, since visitors will The implications for hotels are less clear: Potential continue to use the old Gotthard route – which overnight guests can reach their destinations might itself become a tourist attraction: SBB faster, but they can return home just as quickly. Historic plans to display Swiss “crocodile” loco- People from the German-speaking region of Swit- motives and other Gotthard legends in a theme zerland – the largest group of visitors to Ticino – park setting. could visit an attraction like Lugano’s new cultural center LAC and return home the same day. How- AUTHORS: THOMAS RÜHL AND JAN SCHÜPBACH ever, it takes so long to reach most of the urban areas north of the Gotthard that a substantial number of tourists would elect to stay overnight. Accordingly, Credit Suisse Economic Research

36 — Bulletin 2 / 2016 ECONOMIC RESEARCH

LABOR MARKET FLEXIBLE WORK AND THE NEAT The importance of being physically present at work every day is dwindling. New technologies have initiated drastic changes in how we work. Better accessibility opens up completely new options.

Labor Market Trends

The vision of a fragmented Employees Working groups 23 % 42 % working world: Networks of Swiss of Swiss Companies employees employees could currently organize their work partially from work more flexibly home. in the future (Uri: 35 %; Ticino 42 %).

The working world is in a state of transition. New business services, trade and transport, and in the information and communication technologies, public sector. Employees in these sectors make up changing lifestyles and a growing proportion of the majority of commuters from Ticino to the knowledge-based professions have allowed a multi- Zurich-Zug area (around 1,500 in total), although tude of flexible forms of employment to emerge. 54 percent do not return to their home canton on Practically 50 percent of the labor force in Switzer- a daily basis during the week. land is currently engaged in modern forms of work The potential for flexible, location-indepen- (self-employment, part-time and temporary em- dent work in a region increases proportionally ployment), a figure exceeded within the OECD area with the share of employees working in the knowl- only by the Netherlands. And some 23 percent of edge sector. These are primarily traditional office Swiss employees already take advantage of the op- workers and modern services. The industrial sec- portunity to do a portion of their work from home. tor, however, represents a potential that should Traffic congestion on the roadways and in public not be underestimated. Production-related ser- transportation as a result of the growing number of vices are becoming more significant, from needs commuters has served to amplify this trend. At the analysis and teleservice to completely operating same time, the percentage of working parents is on facilities for customers. By analyzing the em- the rise, which is becoming a pivotal challenge for ployee structure according to activity character- balancing career and family when the home and istics, we estimate that in the future 41.8 percent workplace are not the same. of employees in Switzerland will be able to orga- In this regard, better accessibility on the nize their work more flexibly in terms of time and north-south axis provides new options to those place. In Ticino and Uri, that share is 42.3 percent living in the affected regions. When it becomes and 34.5 percent. Work is becoming more flexible, possible to work remotely, peripheral regions are driven in part by the increasingly overloaded city also able to position themselves as high quality centers and the rising environmental and digital residential areas. Employees who are allowed to consciousness. perform part of their work from home or at a It is possible that the working world of the nearby location are not forced to move closer to future will be a highly fragmented one, made up their workplace or can commute less frequently, of a multitude of networks and small, highly special- albeit over longer distances. ized providers offering their services on a project- Over the last ten years, around 400 people by-project basis, with only the core functions re- moved from the canton of Ticino to the Zurich-Zug maining within the companies. region: 55 percent of the people who relocated are highly qualified graduates of institutes of AUTHOR: SARA CARNAZZI WEBER higher learning, employed mainly in financial and

Bulletin 2 / 2016 — 37 — Gottardo — Stories from the Inside

Thousands of workers and specialists and millions of tons of stone – the Gotthard Base Tunnel (GBT) is the result of a complex collaboration. Six contractors talk about the special motivation and challenges presented by this once-in-a-century project.

By Simon Brunner (interviews) and Anne Morgenstern (photos)

STRABAG AG SWITZERLAND

WHAT: The Strabag Group is one of Europe’s leading technology groups for construction services (sales revenue: EUR 14 billion/73,300 employees). Strabag Switzerland is involved in the planning and execution of work in all areas of the construction industry. WHERE: Schlieren SINCE: 1835 EMPLOYEES: 1,350 (Switzerland)

What was Strabag’s role in the GBT project? Strabag AG Austria and Strabag AG Tunnelbau Switzerland received the awards for construction of the Amsteg and Erstfeld sections. So we were the sole contractor for the entire northern side of the GBT. Order volume: CHF 1,100 million

What makes tunnel construction different from other types of construction? There’s an old tunnel digger’s adage that says “You don’t know how things will look until you start digging.” Building a tunnel is one of the most challenging and riskiest projects there is.

Did anything go wrong? “The mountain is stronger” – that’s another adage we had to accept. On the one hand, we set a single-day GBT record at STRABAG AG SWITZERLAND, Peter Murer the Erstfeld construction section by

38 — Bulletin 2 / 2016 — Gottardo —

ELKUCH GROUP, Günther Elkuch

Bulletin 2 / 2016 — 39 — Gottardo —

drilling 56 meters. However, the same nearly their entire day in the dark, and it’s AGIR AGGREGAT AG (AAA) tunnel boring machine that set this record as hot as a sauna. This experience trans- became trapped in Amsteg. Within forms them into a tight-knit community WHAT: AAA is one of the leading a single meter, the geological conditions of team-oriented individuals. They’re providers of logistics systems for larger changed from hard, stable gneiss to always celebrating milestones, like the last construction sites loose gravel, which flooded into the tunnel “golden” sleeper. We were so fascinated WHERE: Gurtnellen like a mudslide, blocking the drill head with this ritual that we decided to celebrate SINCE: 1967 of the machine. Despite its 5,000 hp, something similar as well: the installation EMPLOYEES: 350 it was powerless. Using ingenuity, engineer- of the last ‒ i.e., the golden ‒ door leaf. ing skill and a lot of elbow grease, the It was a small but powerful gesture that What role did AAA play in the GBT project? team managed to free the colossus from was very well received. We carried out orders worth CHF 380 the mountain’s grip in six months. Answers by Günther Elkuch, million, moving 20.1 million tons or Answers by Peter Murer, Chairman of the Board of Directors around 80 percent of the material, such as Chairman of the Board of Directors rock and waste water, from the tunnel, or using it to make concrete aggregate.

REX ARTICOLI TECNICI SA What is your favorite story? ELKUCH GROUP There was a small language problem, which WHAT: Development and production is not unusual at a construction site. WHAT: The Elkuch Group consists of of technical products made from rubber We wanted to install six containers at seven sheet metal companies. Elkuch and thermoplastics the construction site, and we needed Bator AG develops industrial and fire doors. WHERE: Mendrisio the approval of the construction site It played a leading role in the GBT order. SINCE: 1935 management team. But our request for WHERE: Bendern, Liechtenstein EMPLOYEES: >100 “säggs Container,” as we say in Swiss (Group)/Herzogenbuchsee (Bator AG) German, was understood by the German SINCE: 1949 What role did Rex play in the GBT project? construction site management staff EMPLOYEES: >350 We manufactured and delivered all as “sex containers.” Of course, they were 380,000 rubber sleeper boots. As the name adamant that we could not set up sex What was Elkuch’s role in the GBT project? implies, the tracks lie on these “boots.” containers at the construction site. We We produced some 750 doors and gates, The ballastless superstructure of the GBT didn’t understand why it was a problem including 353 doors that connect the two is a special feature: There are no stones to set up six containers. It took quite main tubes every 320 meters. We also between the tracks as there normally would some time before we understood what made the 24 doors used at emergency stop be. This type of construction requires very the problem was. stations and the four 68-meter, 22-ton little maintenance. gates in the lane change sections. What was the biggest challenge? How important was this order for you? Avoiding accidents and deaths. Every Was this project different from other orders? It was the largest order ever in the 80-year single accident has a huge impact We often had to come up with brand new history of the company. We’re talking at a large construction site, where we solutions because there simply weren’t about a total of more than CHF 4.5 mil- all get to know one another at some any standards or rules for high-speed rail lion in revenue. What’s unique is that point. So the celebration on December 4 lines in tunnels. For example, in a tunnel the entire order only filled two pages. of Saint Barbara, the patron saint of a train acts like a bullet in a gun barrel. A similar order in another country would construction workers, is important for An enormous amount of pressure builds have been as long as half a novel. everyone – even though the majority up in a short period of time, moving back of the workers aren’t religious. and forth in waves through the tunnel. How did you organize the transport to Answers by Andreas Meyer, If there are several trains traveling at the and from the construction site? Managing Director same time, these waves of pressure It was a constant challenge to organize. overlap – which puts an enormous amount It involved a huge number of people; of strain on the infrastructure. So first I’ve rarely seen a working atmosphere like we had to determine how this affected the that one. And the assembly machines lifespan of the individual components. built especially for this project were simply amazing. What sticks in your mind? Answers by Marco Favini, Tunnelers are unique people. They spend Chairman of the Board of Directors

40 — Bulletin 2 / 2016 — Gottardo —

AGIR AGGREGAT AG (AAA), Andreas Meyer

Bulletin 2 / 2016 — 41 — Gottardo —

also invited to all of the ceremonies and celebrations. That was really nice.

What relationship does your company have with the Gotthard Tunnel? The year Tenconi SA Airolo was founded is the same year that construction of the first Gotthard rail tunnel started. The Tenconi brothers, who were blacksmiths by trade, took part in this epic cons- truction project, moving from Liguria to Airolo, where there seems to have been plenty of work.

Answers by Fabrizio Lucchini, Sales Director

WOERTZ

WHAT: Manufacturer of electrical systems, building automation systems, and fire safety systems WHERE: Muttenz SINCE: 1928 EMPLOYEES: 230

What role did Woertz play in the GBT project? We were responsible for the wiring for the emergency lighting and for installing fire safety cables and connection boxes.

What was the biggest challenge? Adapting to changing requirements. We had to develop new connection boxes that meet the high technical requirements, while simultaneously ensuring maximum time and cost savings during installation. TENCONI SA, Fabrizio Lucchini Among other things, this involved deliver- ing the lamps and flat cable connection boxes to the construction site pre-wired so the lights only had to be attached and TENCONI SA built boring jigs, welded steel components, the boxes placed on the flat cable to make constructed separation walls for ventila- electrical contact. WHAT: Steel and mechanical engineer- tion, and much more, all at the southern ing, specialized in the rail business end of the project. In what ways did you sense the magnitude WHERE: Airolo of this project? SINCE: 1871 What are you most proud of? The competition was strong, and price and EMPLOYEES: 130 Tenconi is valued for our straightforward- time pressure enormous. In addition, there ness, reliability, adherence to deadlines, was high demand to develop specific What role did Tenconi SA play in the GBT project? and the quality of the work we deliver products according to detailed requirements. We manufactured mechanical components – and, above all, for our versatility. We for the tunnel drilling machines, repaired were called to the tunnel numerous times Answers by Tamas Onodi, damaged parts, produced service parts, to discuss problems at the site. We were Managing Director

42 — Bulletin 2 / 2016 — Gottardo —

The Saint and the Devil

In our modern age of mobility, there According to contemporary sources, Godehard was even-tempered are few Christian saints whose names and cheerful. Numerous legends have sprung up about him. He is usually depicted as a bishop carrying hot coals in his cloak, a are encountered more often than reference to the story that as an altar boy, he carried burning coals that of St. Gotthard, the namesake for to the censer in his robe. The legend is that he remained utterly unharmed. the “king of mountain passes.” Bishop Godehard died on May 5, 1038, at 76 – an advanced Godehard, as he was known in Old age for his time. He was buried in Hildesheim Cathedral. He is still remembered on the 5th of May by both Catholics and Protestants. High German, lived in the Godehard was canonized by Pope Innocent II in 1131. St. Gode- 10th and 11th centuries. hard church in Hildesheim was erected in his honor. Numerous St. GotthardSt. was born yto ming famil towns anandd chchurchesurches havehave beenbeen namednamed afterafter St.St Godehard By Hansjörg Schultz a poor farfarming family om St. Godehard – includinincludingg in the Scandinavian countrcountriesie and Italy. (statue fromfr St. Godehard) church, HildesheimHildesheim) AAnd,nd, as we have noted, the ggatewayateway tto Italy was named after him. ThThee ch chapelapel atat thethe crest of the GoGotthardtthard Pass was ddedicatededicated ttoo him, and sshortlyhortly thereafterthereafter – thethe firstfirst mementionn was in 11236236 – a hostel for pilgrimspilgrims travelingtravelin to Rome The first mention of aco nnconnec-ec- wwasas built.built. BeginningBeginning in thethe 17th17th century,cen it was tion between Godehard,ard, bbish-ish- run as an inn bbyy CCapuchinapuchin monks.monks. Because of op of Hildesheim, andd ththee GGott-ott- ththee snowy weatweather,her, tthehe monmonksks were ggiveni special hard Pass came in thee yyearear 12361236.. permission to wear shoes.shoes. A Benedictine monk ffromrom BremBremenen OnOnee legendlegend hhasas it tthathat BiBishops Gode- had traveled to the popopepe in RoRomeme hhardard wwouldould eevenven wwakeake tthehe ddead so that to ask for forgiveness of his sins. Aff- they couldcould confessconfess theirtheir sins. In ad- ter hearing the name ooff tthehe GGotthardotthard diditiontion to bbeingeing tthehe ppatronat saint of Pass on his arduous jjourneyourney home,home, bbyy tthehe GGottharotthard PassPass,, he is invoked way of Bellinzona, Airoloirolo and LucerneLucerne,, agagainstainst llightningightning anandd hahail, rheuma- he spread the word uponpon returning to tthehe tism, ggoutout and difficudifficultlt childbirth. north. In 1230, a chapelapel believed to have OnOnee statue ooff GodehardGodehard shows him been erected in the 11th1th centurycentury was concon- ramming hishis shepherd’sshepherd’s staff down secrated to St. Godehardard by the AArchbishoprchbishop thethe tthroathroat ooff tthehe ddevil,evil, ddepictede as a of Milan. During thatt same pperiod,eriod, a hhostelostel dragondragon llyingying at his feet. AndAnd that men- was built. It was run by monmonksks anandd oofferedffered tion ooff tthehe ddevilevil bbringsrings us bback to the travelers a place to stay.ay. GottharGotthard Pass – wwherehere a pperilouseri bridge Gotthard – Godehard,odehard, in Old HiHighgh over thethe SchöllenenSchöllenen GorgeGorge iis known as German – of Hildesheimeim was bbornorn in 960 to a Devil’s Bridge. ThThee saint saint an andd the devil – poor farming family iinn ReiReichersdorf,chersdorf, a vivillagellage in thethe longlong hhistoryistory ooff tthehe GGotthardo Pass, in Lower Bavaria. At the aagege of 30, he entered therethere is surelysurely room fforor both.both. a Benedictine monastery,ery, soon risinrisingg to bbecomeecome its prior. He was widelyely ddescribedescribed as a reformerreformer,, having embraced the ideas of the reform momoveve- ment that began at CClunyluny AAbbeybbey in BurgundyBurgundy,, which emphasized thee imimportanceportance of helhelpingping the poor. Emperor Henryy II named the 62-year-old Godehard bishop of HHildesheimildesheim in 1022. DurinDuringg his 16 years as bishop, GodehardGodehard was active in pproro- moting building projects,ojects, including exexpandingpanding the cathedral and erectingecting more tthanhan 30 neneww churches. Overall, hiss tenure as bishop,bishop, servingserving Hansjörg Schultzz is an eeditorditor anandd moderator in a major episcopate under the Saxon emperemper- foforr SRFSRF 2 CultureCulture radio.radio. He was fformerly the moderator for the TTVV pprogramrogram “Sternstunde ors, was a time of greatt achievement. AArchitec-rchitec- ReReligioligion,n,”” anandd untiuntill tthehe bbeginningeginning oof 2014, he tural and artistic treasuresasures ffromrom hhisis eerara ststillill wwasas thethe religionreligion eeditorditor fforor SSchweizerchweiz Radio and shape the Hildesheimm of today.todaay. SRF television.television.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons / Hildesia / CC BY-SA 3.0 Bulletin 2 / 2016 — 43 — Gottardo — Heart of Swissness

44 — Bulletin 2 / 2016 — Gottardo —

For transportation planners, the Gotthard represents the shortest route from north to south. For Swiss writers, it’s much less prosaic – and a central theme of their work. Seven groundbreaking literary works about “Switzerland’s Sinai” and one about another Swiss tunnel.

By Daniele Muscionico (text) and Maiko Gubler (illustration)

Bulletin 2 / 2016 — 45 — Gottardo —

For Classicists find a true home if you are able to leave Rolf Dobelli — behind the ‘massif central’ of your past,” he writes. That is something his protagonist “Massimo Marini” is unable to do. But it isn’t Marini’s fault; fate simply does not shine on him. Greek hat would Switzerland be Fate is cruel – as the ancient Greeks repeat- tragedy echoes throughout the Gotthard without the literary shad- edly emphasized in their tragedies. Rolf mountain range in the tale. ow cast by the Gotthard? Dobelli (born in 1966) obviously comes It’s a terrible thing to from a different era, but his novel shares Wcontemplate. Perhaps it would simply be some of the violence of a Greek tragedy. For Theologians a country like any other. The fabled Gott- Dobelli narrates the life of Massimo Friedrich Dürrenmatt — hard mountain range is a central theme for Marini in a political story that shines a German-speaking Swiss writers – as mon- light on the complexities of Swiss society “The Tunnel” and umental, in its own way, as the mountain in the second half of the 20th century. The “The Winter War in Tibet” itself. “What does the Gotthard mean to author touches on topics as varied as inte- you?” That’s the crucial question for writers gration, issues related to immigration and This is Friedrich Dürrenmatt at his best: on both sides of the Alps. Writer Peter von guest workers and a man’s Oedipal destiny, A train is thundering along without an Matt, Switzerland’s best-known scholar in and even a soap opera involving a beautiful engineer in what, under normal circum- the field of German literature, refers to the cellist at Zurich’s opera house. stances, should be a short tunnel (not the Gotthard as “Switzerland’s Sinai.” Gotthard), carrying unsuspecting passen- Other commentators have described gers (“We were still sitting in our compart- it in similarly colorful terms. Strikingly, ments and had no idea it was all over”). The male authors tend to take a biographical train hurtles forward, picking up speed,

approach when writing about this monu- RolfRolf DobDobellielli and as it moves faster and faster, the tunnel MassimoMassimo mental granite formation that is so much a MMariniarini seems to grow longer and longer. With di- part of Helvetia’s identity, while their fe- saster imminent, the chief conductor asks male colleagues seem to be motivated by RomanRoman · DiogenesDiogenes a young passenger, a student, the crucial fantasy rather than biography. Italian-lan- question: “What are we to do?” “Nothing,” guage writers in Ticino like Piero Bian- “The story of Marini’s came the merciless reply. coni, Plinio Martini and Alberto Nessi rise and fall is set against Nothing, the student says, “not turn- have described the Gotthard as a social the backdrop of the ing away from the deadly spectacle below, space, particularly in the last century. This yet not without a certain ghostly cheerful- theme is rarely found in the contemporary Gotthard mountain range.” ness. Bits of glass from the shattered con- literature of Switzerland’s southern and trol panel now studded his body.” The western regions. In German-language narrator’s laconic, dispassionate, knowing Swiss literature, however, there is a Gott- In the 1950s, the book’s protagonist, response: “Nothing. God has let us fall, hard story and a Gotthard perspective to Marini, was smuggled into Switzerland and now we are rushing toward Him.” satisfy every taste. The following examples in a suitcase as an infant by his parents, In his surreal short story “The Tun- are all contemporary in nature, whether who were seasonal workers from Apulia. nel,” Friedrich Dürrenmatt (1921–1990) they are new discoveries, rediscoveries, The story of his rise and fall is set against brings a young student first to despair – modern classics or science fiction. the backdrop of the Gotthard mountain and then to God. And in the face of God range. And as fate would have it, Marini and disaster, Dürrenmatt is even able to and the workers at his construction com- find the humor in the situation for a brief pany will later build the Gotthard Base moment. Tunnel. They manage to connect Italy How does he accomplish this? He and Switzerland – the country of Marini’s juxtaposes the absurd and the normal. birth and his new home – and to make He introduces a surreal event into a real- a political and technical miracle a reality. life scenario. A parable of the paradoxical Yet Marini’s personal story ends tragical- meaninglessness of human life, the story ly: He is a man without an identity. This takes place inside a mountain, in the dark, is the story of someone who scaled the in a situation of absolute disorientation. heights – and then hit rock bottom. There it becomes clear that aimlessness is Rolf Dobelli’s characterization of the the aim of every human life. But that in- Gotthard is that of a skeptic: “You can only sight in itself brings one closer to God.

46 — Bulletin 2 / 2016 — Gottardo —

ing her face with her hands. The residents For Dreamers pour out of the village. One by one, car- Christian Kracht — “Ich werde rying mountains of pillows, they rush to FriedrichFriedrich DürrDürrenmattenmatt hier sein im Sonnenschein DeDerr TunnelTunnel the scene of the accident. Where are they und andere MeistererzählungenMeistererzählungen rushing to for their next dose of death? DiogenesDiogenes und im Schatten” (“I’ll be here The childhood street has only one sign- post: Gotthard–Italy. in sunshine and in shadow”) “Nothing. Where are they going? An answer to the girl’s question is found only much later, This young Swiss writer with German roots God has let us fall, in her father’s photo album: She recognizes has always been more inclined toward meg- and now we are a “gigantic sugar-covered city.” This city alomania than to the exaggerated humili- must be located behind the tunnel. The ty that characterizes many Swiss. Kracht rushing toward Him.” people who built it must have had their (born in 1966) has written a book that is no eyesight sharpened in long nights spent in more and no less than a history book that the tunnel, bathed in the reflection of the argues against history, taking the title from Much sharper in tone is a portrayal of glaciers’ snow and the icy summit of the the German lyrics to “Danny Boy”: “Ich a mountain interior that Dürrenmatt Gotthard mountain range. That is what the werde hier sein im Sonnenschein und im wrote years later. In Selected Writings, child imagines this unearthly city to be Schatten.” Those who lack a sense of irony Volume 3, the author creates a biting, like. Later, after an incredulous look at the might instead describe it as an outrageous imaginative political satire depicting a map on her classroom wall, she insists that requiem for “bunker Switzerland.” post-World War III Switzerland. The she “knows better”: “Milan’s cathedral is first-person narrator is a soldier of fortune right behind the Gotthard.” who has been fighting for 20, perhaps 30 years in the mountains of Tibet. “The Gertrud Leutenegger Gleich nach dem Winter War in Tibet” is a never-ending Gotthard kommt der Mailänder Dom nightmare set in underground labyrinths Suhrkamp and multi-level shafts – quintessential Dürrenmatt. It is no secret that it was in- spired by the Gotthard mountain range. In the story, the Swiss government has “Other great nations retreated to a bunker in the Alpine for- “In the story, the in history have tress, located underneath the Blüemlisalp built pyramids; massif. Dürrenmatt’s mountain allegory is God-given bulwark also intended as an allegory of the world that is the we dig tunnels.” itself. But it is equally about the bizarre Gotthard mountain nature of being spared. range is incomparably With equal parts cleverness and folly, light.” Kracht invents a version of Swiss histo- For Poets ry that is so abstruse that it is impossible Gertrud Leutenegger — to summarize. Suffice it to say that the author’s Switzerland – indeed, the entire “Gleich nach dem Gotthard In this brief but powerful story by Ger- world – has been “Bolshevized” by Zurich’s kommt der Mailänder Dom” trud Leutenegger (born in 1948), the exiled revolutionary Lenin, and the result God-given bulwark that is the Gotthard is never-ending war. A party official from (“Milan’s cathedral is mountain range is incomparably light. A “New Bern” is ordered to arrest a disloyal right behind the Gotthard.”) child’s fantasy tells us that the Gotthard, colonel. The author has no doubt learned Switzerland’s “holy mountain” that carries from his country about the strategic impor- This first-person narration begins with such a heavy burden, is whatever we imag- tance of tunnels, for the military and the in- the description of a busy street leading ine it to be. frastructure. “Other great nations in history through the narrator’s childhood. The Leutenegger juxtaposes lightness built pyramids,” the book’s narrator tells us. event happens just outside the garden. and weight, ideology and subjectivity. She “We dig tunnels.” During the war years, the As cars roll by, brakes screech and met- shows the reader that the specific gravity of country, our country, was reduced to the ter- al crashes against metal. A mother, dis- any story, any legend, any myth is just as ritory of the “Réduit suisse” – Switzerland’s traught, gets up from her recliner, cover- light, or heavy, as we perceive it to be. National Redoubt, a defensive mountain

Bulletin 2 / 2016 — 47 — Gottardo —

stronghold – which Kracht calls the “epic Suffering a breakdown after losing his job feat of the Swiss – the core, breeding at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technol- ground and expression of our existence.” ogy in Zurich, Schöllkopf seeks salvation The fugitive, this ideologically fragile in the Gotthard and the “Gotthard sisters.” colonel takes refuge in the tunnel – this He is attracted to one of them in particu- defensive structure, this one-time symbol lar, a Germanic “creature of light,” a blonde of power that Switzerland built as an Al- woman named “Dagmar Dom.” Some may pine fortress during the Second World recognize in her a caricature of German “Amusement, sophistication, War. There is no need for the audacious news anchor Dagmar Berghoff. Schöllkopf sensuousness author to attach the name “Gotthard” to hopes that she will relieve his suffering this enormous joke; his intention is obvi- and help him find a new life. Perhaps her and the ability to tell ous in every line. Kracht’s Gotthard fantasy “tunnel therapy” will heal him – perhaps a story.” is as utopian as the Gotthard project itself it will cure a mysterious ailment that has in its time. plagued him for years, a “pelvic migraine”: Schöllkopf is impotent. Over that brief period, one person suffers Burger’s ironic reinterpretation of a vivid and outrageous death, men engage For fans of erotica the redoubt myth combines with the de- in indecencies – and along the way, a long- Hermann Burger — sire to be liberated once and for all from ago murder is solved. With amusement, the narrow confines of Switzerland. The sophistication, sensuousness and the abil- “Die Künstliche Mutter” warmth of the mountain’s interior, the ity to tell a story with a mining engineer’s (“The Artificial Mothers”) “massif-uterus,” ultimately enables the precision, del Buono has written the book author’s alter ego, the emotionally numb, of the year 2015 about the mountain of the Here caricature and madness come togeth- cerebral Schöllkopf, to do great things: century. er in a literal encounter in the mountain. Schöllkopf “explodes like a double rocket” What may seem pedantic in the works in Ticino. He is reborn as an Italianized, of Dürrenmatt and Frisch is light and two-fold “Armando” (“the rearmed one”). breezy in this novel by Hermann Burger And the mountain? Rather than explod- (1942–1989), which deals with the peren- ing, it collapses in a manner that is both nial Swiss themes of masculinity, identity elegant and efficient: It disintegrates from and homeland. The story’s setting, an aban- within. doned military fortress, is clearly based on the Gotthard, and one of the Gotthard’s tunnels is used for erotic therapy. For Contemporaries Bibliography:

Zora del Buono — “Gotthard” — Rolf Dobelli. “Massimo Marini.” Zurich, Diogenes, 2010. This brief novella is like a timetable of — Friedrich Dürrenmatt. “The Tunnel.” events. Ideally, it should be read while rid- In: “Selected Writings, Volume 2, Fictions.” ing the train through the new Gotthard Translated by Joel Agee, Chicago, rail tunnel. Zora del Buono (born in 1962), The University of Chicago Press, 2006. — Friedrich Dürrenmatt. “The Winter War in a Zurich writer who lives in Berlin, not Tibet.” In: “Selected Writings, Volume 3, only knows how to write; she also knows Essays.” Translated by Joel Agee, Chicago, what to write for the modern age. The University of Chicago Press, 2006. “One of the Gotthard’s Del Buono is an architect and former — Gertrud Leutenegger. “Gleich nach dem Gotthard kommt der Mailänder Dom. tunnels is used construction supervisor, and her profes- Geschichten und andere Prosa.” for erotic therapy.” sional insights inform her narration of the Frankfurt am Main, Suhrkamp, 2006. incredible events and human stories and — Christian Kracht. “Ich werde hier sein im entanglements that take place at a con- Sonnenschein und im Schatten.” Cologne, Verlag Kiepenheuer & Witsch, 2008. struction site at the southern entrance to — Hermann Burger. “Die Künstliche Mutter.” The main character in Burger’s massive the Gotthard Base Tunnel. Zurich, Nagel & Kimche, 2014. volume is Wolfram Schöllkopf, a lecturer Del Buono’s work is a joy to read, — Zora del Buono. “Gotthard.” Munich, in German studies and glaciology. He is both in its craft and its depth. The action in C.H.Beck, 2015. looking for healing from the primordial this charming and provocative story takes Daniele Muscionico is an award-winning mother, the bosom of the republic – hav- place on a single day over precisely 6 hours journalist who writes about art and culture for the

ing been denied love by his own mother. and 23 minutes. Neue Zürcher Zeitung. C.H.Beck & Kimche; Witsch; Nagel Kiepenheuer & Verlag Suhrkamp; Diogenes (3); images: Cover

48 — Bulletin 2 / 2016 65&\HDUV DWWKHKHDUWRIKXPDQLW\

+DYLQJEHHQRIƟFLDOSDUWQHUVIRURYHUHLJKW\HDUV&UHGLW6XLVVHFRQJUDWXODWHVWKH 6ZLVV5HG&URVVRQLWVWKDQQLYHUVDU\%HVLGHVVXSSRUWLQJKXPDQLWDULDQDFWLYLWLHV ZHDOVRHQFRXUDJHRXUHPSOR\HHVWRFRQWULEXWHWKURXJKSHUVRQDOLQYROYHPHQWDQGDUH SURXGWREHVWDQGLQJƟUPO\ZLWKWKH65&QRZDQGLQIXWXUH

FUHGLWVXLVVHFRPYROXQWHHULQJ — Gottardo — Gotthard is everywhere

Gotthard Street, Sugarcreek, Ohio, USA

St. Gotthard Way, Ceres, California, USA

Saint Gotthard Avenue, Anchorage, Alaska, USA

Saint Gotthard Street, Soweto, South Africa

Saint Gotthards Avenue, Martlesham, Ipswich, UK

Sankt Gotthard im Mühlkreis, Austria

50 — Bulletin 2 / 2016 Photos: 4maksym / iStock Photo; Google Earth (10); Michael Kranewitter / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0; Darinko / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain — Gottardo —

It’s a big mountain for Switzerland, but only an ordinary street somewhere else in the world: Where the Gotthard can be found in other places around the globe.

Szentgotthárd, Hungary

Gothard Street, Huntington Beach, California, USA

Gothard Street, Vancouver, Canada

Saint Gothard Road, London, UK

Saint Gothard, Dawes Close, Dobwalls, UK

Gotthardt Street, Newark, New Jersey, USA

Bulletin 2 / 2016 — 51 — Gottardo — Animals Underground

52 — Bulletin 2 / 2016 Photo: Gerard Lacz / FLPA / Minden Pictures — Gottardo —

Humans build tunnels to pass through mountains and under bodies of water. Animals build them as safe havens from enemies and harsh environmental conditions.

By Herbert Cerutti

he European badger is a cham- pion among tunnel builders. With a stocky physique, nar- row head, and trunk-like snout, Tt he badger uses its elongated, curved claws to dig a labyrinth of underground burrows. It hides out there during the day and waits until dusk to emerge for a feeding fren- zy. Its favorite foods include beetles and worms, wasps’ nests, berries and windfall. It was long believed that the Euro- pean badger was a hermit, mingling with other badgers only to reproduce. Newer research suggests, however, that “brock” forages for food alone but enjoys plenty of company while hiding out during the day or hibernating in its den or sett over the winter. Couples mate for life and there are even social clans with up to a dozen animals. In the west of England there is an exposed burrow that shows the extent of the badger’s residence. Twelve entrances and exits led to 94 tunnels with a total length of 310 meters. Twenty-three rooms cushioned with leaves provided a comfort- able place to sleep, while numerous sepa- rate latrines kept everywhere else clean. Bones have been found that indicate some badger dens have been populated for cen- turies. One karst cave near Bristol in the southwest of England has even been host to European badgers for tens of thousands of years.

Likable Landlord Sly tenant: The fox is glad The European badger is good-natured, as to take up residence in the badger’s luxurious den. shown by its tolerance for its tenant: the sly fox. The fox is glad to make use of its forest friend’s underground network

Bulletin 2 / 2016 — 53 — Gottardo —

break down the indigestible plant cell walls so that the worms can absorb the nutrition through their intestinal walls into their blood. Anything not digested is expelled through the anus and left as a pile of excre- ment at the burrow’s entrance. This is im- mediately attacked by bacteria, insect lar- vae and springtails, releasing additional nutrients. The earthworm is then ready to eat its own excrement in “refined” form. The same food goes through the worm’s di- gestive tract again and again, with new Badgers are fastidious and peaceful, building extensive underground networks to live in. minerals, plant remains and microorgan- isms each time. Earthworm excrement be- comes a rich mixture of organic and miner- al materials that is easily absorbed by plants in this form. Worm burrows are also an efficient drainage system, because they allow heavy rain to be soaked up as with a sponge. Soil full of worm holes can take four to ten times the amount of water as soil without worms. For this reason, this natural drain- and has no problem taking up residence nor breathe. As one game warden in the age system protects cultivated land from there. To keep from getting on each oth- Black Forest remarked of a huge den: surface erosion. To ensure that the walls of er’s nerves, the fox and badger live as far “Five good hunting dogs are under there, their burrows – which are just a few milli- apart as possible in the dens with separate and the old badger is still alive.” entrances. However, their different na- tures – the badger is a fastidious and peace- Digging Is Good for the Environment ful sort, while the fox loves action and drags Earthworms are less noticeable but just its bloody prey into the house – can cause a as efficient in tunnel construction. As one tussle. Nonetheless, young foxes and bad- of more than 3,000 species worldwide, the gers have been known to play nicely with nightcrawler, our conventional “earth- one another. worm,” is a true master of civil engineering. The badger-fox underground cohab- It digs vertical burrows in loamy, sandy soil. itation sometimes results in a nasty sur- prise for hunters. During hunts with terri- ers and dachshunds bred especially for the sport, the dogs slip into the tunnels while The earthworm is a true the hunters wait, gun poised, at one of the master of civil engineering. tunnel’s exits. While the fox generally flees from the habitat, the badger stands its ground. If the dog persists, the badger will use There can be up to a thousand deep earth- its dagger-like claws and sharp teeth to get worm burrows per square meter of soil. the point across. It might even quickly turn Some have been measured at up to eight its hindquarters toward the dog and dig fu- meters long. This creates an excellent venti- riously to throw dirt and rocks into its face. lation system that provides plenty of oxy- Just like that, the tunnel is closed off to the gen and nitrogen to the soil. dogs. If the dog starts to dig, it’s digging its Earthworms emerge from the ground own grave: The frantic efforts pile up so after dark and pull plant materials into Effiicent tunnel builders: Earthworms are vastly much dirt that the dog can neither escape their burrows. Bacteria and fungi help important for plant growth.

54 — Bulletin 2 / 2016 Photo: Stefan Meyers / Okapia; National Geographic Creative — Gottardo —

meters wide – don’t collapse, the worms plaster them with excrement. Once a bur- row is worn out from months of its resi- dent’s comings and goings, the earthworm reshapes the tunnel profile to its body us- ing new layers of excrement. This is because the worm needs a custom burrow to pull itself up: It uses circumferential and longi- tudinal muscles to make sections of its body thick and short or long and thin, moving ahead with each contraction. Abandoned burrows are immediately seized by plant roots as a convenient way to reach the damp underground; the “wallpa- per” made of worm excrement is the best fertilizer for hungry plants. Earthworms Golden wheel spiders in the Namib Desert are very talented civil engineers. and their biological potpourri in the ground are vastly important for plant growth, as shown by experiments in the Netherlands using new polders intention- ally populated with earthworms. Thanks to the worms’ help, the winter wheat crops doubled, and clover increased tenfold ver- sus new fields without earthworms. the first attack, the wasp changes tactic and completes a ten-meter dash and might digs a funnel into the slope above the spi- not use its legs again until it reaches the Fight for Survival in the Sand der’s burrow. It digs for hours in the fine bottom of the dune 100 meters away. The The Namib Desert in southwestern Africa sand to reach its target. For a 15 cm deep wasp has lost the rolling spider because, is host to a very special kind of civil engi- crater, it must shift 5 kg of sand from the even though it can fly, it is unable to locate neering competition: the golden wheel spi- slope using just its legs – which is 80,000 its prey in the desert. der and a species of spider wasp. The wheel times its body weight of approximately European badgers, earthworms, spider lurks on the mighty sand dunes, 60 milligrams. golden wheel spiders – there are many where it builds burrows up to 50 centime- If the wasp manages to break in, the very talented civil engineers in the animal ters deep in the slope. No easy task in loose spider has one last chance. It dashes past kingdom. Their tunnel systems provide a sand. The spider manages this by lining the the enemy to the edge of the crater, sprints window to fascinating worlds hidden un- tunnel wall with silk as it moves along in down the slope and flips onto its side, derground. the construction process. To hide from its with its eight legs bent toward the body at enemies, it closes the entrance with a “door” made from sand and silk. It hunts at night for small insects; sometimes it catches a darkling beetle or gecko. Spider wasps tirelessly The wheel spider’s deadly enemy is the pompilid (spider) wasp. It paralyzes the search the dunes spiders it catches with its poison stinger. for wheel spiders. The spider wasp then lays an egg on the near-corpse, so that the larva has a fresh meal ready and waiting. Tirelessly, female spider wasps search the dunes for wheel the third joint: The spider becomes a spiders. Once they find a silk door, they wheel. It cartwheels down the slope, pick- launch a home invasion. The spider defends ing up speed. Biologists have measured up Herbert Cerutti is an experimental physicist itself in the narrow tunnel with its front to 44 revolutions per second – that’s the and has received numerous awards for his legs or, if needed, pulls the silk supports same as a Ferrari going 300 kilometers per work as a science writer. He lives in Maseltrangen from the wall. If the spider has prevented hour. In ten seconds the wheel spider in the Canton of St. Gallen.

Photo: Solvin Zankl / Nature Picture Library Bulletin 2 / 2016 — 55 — Gottardo — Connection to the World

Infrastructure and economic growth influence one another – but how? It is not enough to spend 2 trillion US dollars on building rail lines, as China has done, but not repairing tunnels, subways and airports, as is the case in New York, is even worse.

By Lars Jensen

56 — Bulletin 2 / 2016 Photo: Tom Nagy / Gallery Stock — Gottardo —

2000 — SWEDEN–DENMARK Perfect planning: It is estimated that the Øresund Bridge between Copenhagen and Malmö has an economic impact of about 8 billion dollars.

Bulletin 2 / 2016 — 57 — Gottardo —

2016 — WORLD TRADE HUB Construction of the transportation hub below Ground Zero in New York went over budget by 3 billion dollars.

58 — Bulletin 2 / 2016 Photo: Connie Zhou / Otto — Gottardo —

t the end of January, the governor of cians, bankers and builders right when they say that New York surprised citizens of the major investments generate even bigger gains for state with the announcement that he the general public? Or would it be better if we sim- intended to invest 100 billion dollars ply became accustomed to delayed trains and flights, inA New York infrastructure. The economic benefits to nerve-wracking traffic jams and power failures, as for the region, promised Andrew Cuomo, would far New Yorkers have? If governments were to lower exceed this amount. Each dollar spent would pro- taxes, rather than build highways? vide double or triple the return. It was time for New Determining the impact of major projects on York to finally connect to the rest of the world. the economy is one of the most complex tasks in The governor wants to build two new tunnels economics. Take the example of the Gotthard Base under the Hudson River and renovate La Guardia Tunnel. According to Credit Suisse Research, cen- Airport, adding a high-speed rail connection to tral and southern Switzerland will benefit from sig- Manhattan; he wants to move Penn Station, one of nificantly improved accessibility, which will increase the city’s two main train stations, a few blocks west annual economic output (see page 26). and add train lines to Long Island and Upstate New Among the winners are large corporations York; he also wants to renovate the Javits Conven- and freight forwarders, which will be able to trans- tion Center, add new subway lines and create port goods through the Alps more easily and at a 100,000 units of affordable housing. The city will lower cost. Tourists and business people will need receive flood protection and a new power grid as up to an hour less than previously to travel from When well. In the future, there will be no more wires run- Zurich to Milan. On the other hand, workers who governments ning from rooftops to courtyards. None of these commute short distances and rarely travel will see lower taxes, plans are new – the only thing that is new is that a no direct benefits from the tunnel. They will have New York politician spoke out in favor of them. So to hope for synergy effects, such as companies rather what happened? that move to Switzerland thanks to the improved than build New York responded to the announcement infrastructure. highways? with complete indifference. Residents, who view Ultimately, researchers can’t provide answers their city as the center of the universe, have grown to the similar questions that arise for every major used to infrastructure that resembles what you project, whether it’s an additional runway at Heath- would find in a developing country. Even more de- row Airport in London or sewers in Mumbai. The pressing are the attempts to carry out new projects. economic benefits of the respective project can only A subway under Second Avenue has been under be vaguely estimated before construction gets under construction since 1972 and is decades from open- way, and economists dispute them even years after ing; the World Trade Hub, a mass transit complex the project has been completed. To what extent do under Ground Zero, overran its budget by 3 billion aircraft noise and falling real estate prices near the dollars, and the new Tappan Zee Bridge – one of airport have a negative impact on the community? more than 20 dilapidated bridges in the region – will How much money will an Indian city save if public cost more than 4 billion dollars due to poor plan- health is improved thanks to better hygiene? ning and corruption. Given these conditions, does Cuomo’s plan make any sense? Turning One Dollar into Two According to a rule of thumb developed by the The True Benefits of Infrastructure Projects World Bank that is now accepted around the New York’s economy is flourishing, and the city at- world, every dollar invested in infrastructure gen- tracts high-tech companies and tourists in droves. It erates two dollars in economic performance ‒ with grows by tens of thousands of people each year. Even no distinction made between energy, transporta- the disastrous consequences of Hurricane Sandy tion and residential infrastructure. This number could not halt the city’s growth. represents a good average. For example, the opera- The situation in New York raises questions of tors of the Øresund Bridge between Copenhagen global interest. What benefits do infrastructure and Malmö, which was planned almost perfectly, projects really provide to the economy? Are politi- calculate that it has economic effects of some

Bulletin 2 / 2016 — 59 — Gottardo —

8 billion dollars against a cost of 4 billion dollars. only generated 1.2 dollars in additional economic But every project has its own special challenges performance. and opportunities. An investor who provides a village in Mauri- China Invests Abroad tania with electricity, water and schools will receive Nevertheless, the government will not deviate from a greater return on each dollar invested than some- its current five-year plan, which calls for it to expand one investing in the expansion of an existing high- its rail network by 120,000 kilometers by the end of way in Germany from four lanes to six ‒ because the the decade. Planners are hoping for a so-called net- expected productivity gain in Africa is proportional- work effect: The larger a system, the faster the num- ly higher than it is in Central Europe. ber of passengers grows. The International Transport Even virtually identical projects within the Forum determined that China will still be under- same country can have vastly different effects. served in 2020. The average Japanese citizen travels According to calculations by the International nearly 70 times as many kilometers by train each Transport Forum, the Chinese high-speed rail year as the average Chinese. Network line between Zhengzhou and Xi’an is a billion- The importance of infrastructure to the regime effect: The dollar money pit due to a lack of passengers. By can be seen in its ambitious investments abroad. contrast, the line from Jinan to Qingdao, which Beijing is paying about 50 billion dollars for the larger cost about the same amount of money, is not only China-Pakistan corridor ‒ a network of railways, a system, the profitable, but has also resulted in a sustained up- roads, airports, canals, ports and power plants that faster swing in both cities. China is financing to gain access to the Indian Chinese railways are a good example of the Ocean. China is being similarly generous in Africa, the number difficulty in calculating the impact of infrastructure where it is building a rail line from Mombasa to Ki- of passengers measures on a national economy. Over the last 15 gali (13.5 billion dollars) and investing in a methane grows. years, China has invested more than 2 trillion dollars power plant in Rwanda (2 billion dollars) and a in 10,000 kilometers of high-speed rail lines. The pipeline from Nigeria to Algeria (9 billion dollars). country has some 40 cities with a population larger The World Bank estimates that Africa could in- than that of Berlin (which has about 3.5 million in- crease its productivity by 40 percent if infrastructure habitants), and the most efficient way for people to met at least minimum standards. China has the fi- travel between these urban centers is by rail. China’s nancial and technical resources to help. But is it re- economic miracle would not have been possible if ally good business for the continent if, for example, the country had emulated the US and relied on cars the Chinese build up telecommunications in dozens and airplanes. According to estimates by the Chi- of countries ‒ with Chinese money, Chinese tech- nese Ministry of Commerce, gross national product nology and Chinese workers? would be at least 10 percent lower if it were not for The most criticized infrastructure project its high-speed trains. in the world is the 278-kilometer canal that Chi- However, doubts about whether such massive nese construction tycoon Wang Jing wants to build, investments make sense have been raised by two with the support of his government, in Nicaragua. economists on China’s National Development and Due to massive technical problems ‒ mountains, Reform Commission. According to Fortune maga- active volcanoes, earthquakes ‒ the project will zine, the two academics ‒ whose names are not cost 40 billion dollars. Nicaragua’s president, Daniel known ‒ calculated that China has wasted nearly Ortega, gave Wang Jing the necessary land without 7 trillion dollars on “superfluous” infrastructure attaching any conditions. The Chinese will be allowed projects since 2009. During the global recession, to seize the property of tens of thousands of people, China decided to boost its economy with invest- destroy one of the richest nature conservation areas ments ‒ financed by loans. The two government in the world and pocket the profits for the first researchers calculate that the cost-benefit factor 50 years of operations. of the investments decreased by half ‒ in part be- And yet, the project will probably never gen- cause of the funding costs. Each dollar invested erate a profit because it is too expensive and there

60 — Bulletin 2 / 2016 — Gottardo —

is stiff competition 500 kilometers to the south: New York only works because it continues to live off The Panama Canal will open its expanded channel of the ambitious projects from the World War gen- by mid-year. It is said that Wang Jing lost 85 per- eration. From 1924 to 1968, legendary urban plan- cent of his assets when the Chinese stock market ner Robert Moses built the entire highway system in crashed, and he has postponed his adventure metropolitan New York: 13 bridges, two airports, in Nicaragua. three stadiums, 150,000 apartments and 700 play- Visitors to Panama today will find little indi- grounds, and dozens of swimming pools and subway cation that Teddy Roosevelt sent the US Army to lines. Moses was controversial. His highways en- the country in 1904 in order to build the canal abled the flight of the white middle class and his against the will of the country’s people. The Ameri- large housing developments quickly became ghet- cans destroyed hundreds of square kilometers of for- tos. But New Yorkers have reassessed his work in est, enslaved the Panamanians and annexed the land recent years, because although not all of his projects until Jimmy Carter returned it to Panama in 1977. were successful, Moses wanted to modernize New More than a century after it opened, the canal is one York ‒ for all of its inhabitants. 13 bridges, of the most profitable infrastructure projects of all This spirit has gone missing in the city. Eco- two airports, time. The Americans had planned to use the canal nomic growth is derived mainly from the boom for military purposes, but they quickly realized how in the financial industry and related sectors, the three useful the water route would be for global trade. bubble on the real estate market and the arrival of stadiums, Panama is now one of the wealthiest countries in the the super-rich. At the same time, the number of 150,000 region ‒ a long-term consequence of Roosevelt’s homeless has doubled since 2005 to nearly 100,000, imperialism. the highest figure since the Depression. Skyscrapers apartments The history of the canal reveals the most im- with luxury apartments are sprouting up everywhere, and 700 portant – and, at the same time, most unpredictable but commuters need ever more time to get to work. playgrounds. ‒ component of planning infrastructure: the lifespan Not to mention the lead in the water pipes in the of the project. Adjusted for inflation, the United Bronx and the untreated waste water that overflows States spent about 9 billion dollars on the construc- into the rivers whenever there is heavy rain. tion. A century later, the canal generates more than A report by the World Bank notes that as the 10 billion dollars in value each year. functioning of infrastructure worsens, the wealth In 1904, no economist would have calculated gap increases. US cities serve as examples. Because how profitable the canal would be in the 21st cen- the government has invested so little in recent de- tury. Similarly, the merchants of 14th century Am- cades, neighborhoods that are poorly served have sterdam had no idea that 600 years later their deteriorated even more quickly, followed by crime, canals would create one of the world’s best-func- drug addiction and poverty. This is another factor to tioning cities. The 21,000-kilometer Great Wall of consider when calculating the benefits of infrastruc- China has stood for thousands of years, but the first ture: How high is the price when it is not built? elevated bridges for Chinese high-speed trains are already starting to crumble after just 15 years.

New York Lives on Its Past Back to New York City, where trains to New Jersey crawl haltingly through the tunnel under the Hud- son River, which has been eroded by saltwater (that is, if they do not come to a complete stop due to a short-circuit), and the most important connection between Manhattan and Brooklyn, the L train, will soon be suspended for two years. Can this city really Lars Jensen has lived in New York for 15 years and writes go on without any ambitious infrastructure projects? for Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, brand eins, Süddeutsche Of course not. Zeitung, Spiegel and other publications.

Bulletin 2 / 2016 — 61 — Gottardo —

INCOMPLETE — CHINA-PAKISTAN CORRIDOR Beijing is paying 50 billion dollars for the complex connection to the Indian Ocean.

62 — Bulletin 2 / 2016 Photo: Huang Zongzhi / Xinhua / Eyevine — Gottardo —

UNDER CONSTRUCTION — METHANE POWER PLAN IN RWANDA China is investing generously in Africa, spending 2 billion dollars on this power plant at Lake Kivu.

Photo: Jason Florio Bulletin 2 / 2016 — 63 — Gottardo —

2016 — NEW PANAMA CANAL The first Panama Canal is considered one of the most profitable infrastructure projects of all time: Today, Panama is the wealthiest country in the region.

64 — Bulletin 2 / 2016 Photo: Arnulfo Franco / AP Images / Keystone — Gottardo —

Bulletin 2 / 2016 — 65 — Gottardo —

An old woman had carved a cross into the boulder, causing the devil to miss his target. Last Stop! The 2000-ton Teufelsstein, or Devil’s Stone, can still be seen at the mouth of the Gotthard Tunnel in Göschenen. Decades ago, it had to be moved 127 meters because it blocked construction of The new Gotthard Base Tunnel the highway. The maneuver had a price tag of 300,000 francs. Yes, brings German-speaking Switzerland you read that right, the Swiss love their Gotthard. Along with all of its legends. and Ticino closer together, Picturesque Peaks but we must not forget the wonders The Gotthard Pass connects so much. Traveling the old line is like sitting in a moving slideshow watching wonder after wonder roll in between. by. In Amsteg, for example, the view from the train window is a An essay by Thomas Widmer never-ending feast for the eyes as a picturesque road steeply winds up through the Maderaner Valley. Shortly thereafter is Gurtnellen, protected by rock and snow barriers that look like they were designed by an orthodontist. The municipality is threatened by 53 avalanche paths, the worst of them A marvel of public transportation, the Gotthard Base Tunnel will on the Geissberg, where an avalanche swept away a family of nine soon become the normal route from the north to the south, from and their farm in 1942. On the other side of the Reuss Valley, to the Uri to Ticino. In Erstfeld, rail travelers will be whisked into the east beyond the first mountain ridge, is yet another hidden curiosi- tunnel and shot back out into the light in Bodio. Leaving thick fog ty: the Tresch Hut in forgotten Felli Valley. The hut got its name at the mouth of the tunnel, 20 minutes later they will be greeted from Johann Josef Tresch-Indergand, a legendary figure of the 19th by palm trees. century. The impoverished farmer, mountain guide and crystal Still, where one journey begins, another ends. The old train hunter lived in a primitive hut in Felli Valley, passing lonely hours route from the 19th century will gradually fade, along with the playing a barrel organ and carving his own shoes out of wood. He myths and legends that surround it. This includes the legend of was the first to reach countless summits. In 1902, having heard cries the Devil’s Bridge, the first bridge across the Reuss. In return for for help, he disappeared into the mist forever in an attempt to ren- building the bridge for the people of the valley, the devil de- der aid. Two decades later his pin and pocket knife were found manded the soul of the first to cross it. When the time came, the along with his remains. people sent across a goat. The devil felt cheated, so he attempted to destroy the bridge with a boulder. But the attempt failed.

66 — Bulletin 2 / 2016 Photo: sodapix / Getty Images — Gottardo —

The Gotthard is not a gentle landscape. It’s a powerful one. Paint- checkpoint, is now a hotel featuring spacious rustic rooms, and it’s er and poet Heinrich Danioth from Altdorf wrote this about the easy to lose oneself in another day and time. Finally we reach the typical resident of Uri: “In the grip of dark cliffs, he remains de- town of Giornico, shortly after the ravine, where the Church of voted and humble.” Today, of course, luxury has found a home in San Nicola sits a stone’s throw from the tracks. The granite church parts of the valley as well. Up in Gurtnellen-Dorf, right next to is an impressive and sturdy example of Lombard Romanesque ar- the Church of St. Michael, with its compact tower designed to chitecture. And again this feeling of being lost in another time: withstand pressure waves from avalanches, the Im Feld inn offers Visitors today can close their eyes and easily imagine ragged peas- local culinary delights. The inn’s restaurant serves Ryys and Boor, ant children passing by outside the church. An oxcart. A merce- Milchbänzä-Kotlettä with Sywgagglä, and Gschtunggätä Pullis, nary soldier with a bloody head bandage limping home from the homey Alpine dishes worthy of Gault-Millau ratings. Battle of Marignano. And then there’s the little church of Wassen, which can be The Gotthard has witnessed a great deal; it is a reservoir of seen from three different perspectives as the train tunnel winds history and folklore. After all, it was the center of the world in the through the mountain. Without this Alpine crossing highlight, a Middle Ages, as the source of much of the continent’s water. For proper childhood hardly seems possible. proof, one has only to stop in Airolo and take a ride on the Post bus with its view of the Tremola. That this place has never ap- Lost in Another Time peared in a James Bond film has only one plausible explanation: The tunnel ends as soon as it begins. And the first village on the The serpentine curves are too extreme even for 007. A short hike other side is Airolo in Ticino, which offers another string of fasci- on the pass above, the Four Headwaters Trail, leads to the headwa- nating sights. The Ritom funicular near Piotta is one of the steepest ters of the rivers below. Then glitz and glamour greet visitors in railways in the world. Passengers would do well to make the short Andermatt where an Egyptian investor has built Switzerland’s climb up to Lago di Cadagno, joining researchers from around the newest five-star hotel. The Chedi’s lobby wouldn’t feel out of place world who are regular visitors to the lake. The small mountain lake in New York or Tokyo. is a unique wonder with two separate layers of water separated by With the new NEAT line, we run the risk of missing out on a third layer of phototropic sulfur bacteria. all this. It would be worthwhile to take the old slow, scenic route A little farther down the mountain in Rodi is the Tremorgio through the mountains now and again, to experience fantasy cable car, which leads up to a lake of the same name, yet another merge with reality like nowhere else in Switzerland. phenomenon of nature. Because Lake Tremorgio is circular, includ- ing the sloping cirque around it, some have theorized that it was created by a meteorite. The mystery is best studied from the grotto. Thomas Widmer is an editor at the “Tages-Anzeiger” and a hiking columnist. Three volumes of his writing on over 500 mountain hikes have been published The residents of Ticino usually have the place to themselves while by Echtzeit Verlag; all of them were bestsellers. A scholar of Islamic studies non-locals foolishly dash through the lower Leventina. They also and an Arabist, he has served on the jury of the Ingeborg Bachmann Prize, one miss out on the fantastic mushroom ravioli at Hotel Baldi in Rodi. of the most distinguished awards for German literature. Moving south, it quickly grows dark in the Piottino Ravine. Tariffs were collected on trade at the upper inlet during the An- cien Régime. The massive Dazio Grande, the former customs

The Gotthard is not a gentle landscape – it’s a powerful one.

Bulletin 2 / 2016 — 67 — Gottardo —

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5360E Innovation, The igh-RiseH Building, 7 0 Innovation Th e High-Rise Building Things Turn Out Differently, Because We Think 1/2016 Architecture, Growth, Density: Th e Eternal Pursuit of Size 5/2015 for free Write an email with your address to: [email protected] Time to Read Beautiful and Informative I really appreciate Credit Suisse Bulle- I would like to congratulate you on your tin. The content is always extremely in- excellent magazine. It is always well- We welcome all letters from readers. The editors reserve the right to select teresting, and the editing work out- researched, informative and beautifully and edit the letters. Write to us at: standing. The most recent issue on the designed. Thank you so much! topic of Innovation has just arrived, and Anton Killias, Zurich Email: [email protected] I’m going to take my time enjoying it. Address: Credit Suisse AG, Hansruedi Wittwer, Bern Bulletin Editorial Team, GCPA, CH-8070 Zurich

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68 — Bulletin 2 / 2016 Credit Suisse – the accessible bank

Access to our products and services should be as easy as possible for all our clients. We therefore aim to provide the highest possible level of accessibility for those with vision, hearing or mobility impairments. credit-suisse.com/accessibility — Quiz —

Seven Questions about the Gotthard Massif It is not as high as the Dufourspitze, not as photogenic as the Matterhorn and less glamorous than the Jungfrau – and yet, the Gotthard is the most important mountain in Switzerland. But is it actually a mountain? A quiz on the legendary Alpine fortress.

By Simon Brunner and Mikael Krogerus

Take the quiz for a chance to win a trip through the tunnel 1 What is the longest 4 The Gotthard does not have a tall) Hyperloop between Zurich and To join the fun road tunnel in the world? classic summit like the Matterhorn. Milan (idea from Elon Musk, The letters from the correct answers forg) The Lærdal Tunnel, Norway Is it actually a mountain? founder and CEO of auto reveal the English version of a famous spen) Zhongnanshan Tunnel, China aint) The Gotthard is a petrologi- manufacturer Tesla and the Swiss advertising slogan. Simply write it in the subject line of an email and send rela) Gotthard Tunnel, Switzerland cal-tectonic massif. It is aerospace company SpaceX) it, along with your address, to the below repr) Arlberg Tunnel, Austria not one single mountain. aket) A ship canal to make the email address by June 15, 2016: hohi) The Gotthard does exist (rising Gotthard accessible for boat [email protected] 2 The Gotthard Base Tunnel (GBT) 3210 meters above sea level), travel (idea from Italian 5 × 2: Trip through the “Gottardino” tunnel cost around 12 billion Swiss francs to otherwise there would be no engineer Pietro Caminada) (CHF 1,000) build. Is that a lot or a little? It was: Gotthard Pass. If you are com- Package for two with first-class day ticket lon) … about the same amount ing from the north, you can 6 The claim that the Gotthard for a trip through the tunnel with as the Channel Tunnel see the peak on the right side is the highest mountain in the world stop at the Sedrun multi-function stop and return trip. Date: August 30, 2016. ett) … about 25 % less expensive of the Gotthard Hospice. can be traced back to whom? 1 × Mondaine special edition wristwatch mat) … about 25 % more expensive flee) The Romans named the rawe) Napoleon SBB Gottardo 2016 stop2go (CHF 750) age) … twice as expensive former mule track over the hetr) Julius Caesar Bezel-stamped from the original cab pass after Saint Godehard polo) Hannibal doors of an Ae 6/6 mountain train, with 3 What famous literary figure von Hildesheim (see page 43). enil) Johann Wolfgang von Goethe stop-second function. Batch: 2016 units. referred to the Gotthard? Strictly speaking, it is only the 1 × Mondaine special edition wristwatch hestr) William Tell in “William Tell” name of the path 7 Are there other Gotthard North South (CHF 260) by Friedrich von Schiller (1804) sfer) All of the above answers train tunnels? With the Swiss greetings “Griäzi” and “Buon di” on the wristband, the cantonal rspec) Hans von Stoffeln in “The are wrong tte) Yes, one, through the coats of arms on the reverse, logo on the Black Spider” by Jeremias St. Godehard in Ohio, USA back of the watch. 5 Gotthelf (1842) Which of these visions for the (615 meters) 100 × 3D glasses gener) Heinrich Lee in “Green Henry” Gotthard crossing actually existed? The Google Cardboard glasses give you a by Gottfried Keller (1854/5 and port) Commercial flights and a new ain) Yes, one, on the Nuremberg 3D view of the inside of the tunnel. 1879/80) airport in Andermatt (idea (Germany) – Cheb (Czech Participation is free of charge and does not nhabi) Heidi in “Heidi’s Years of Learn- from Egyptian investor Samih Republic) line. It measures obligate you to conclude a legal transaction. ing and Travel” from Johanna Sawiris) 318 meters long. Entrants must be aged 18 years or older, and Spyri’s classic children’s book ches) The longest cable car in live in Switzerland. Only one entry per person is allowed. The winners will be drawn at random the world from Airolo ast) Both of the above answers are true and notified in writing or by email. No corre- to Göschenen (idea from ppy) No, the only Gotthard tunnel spondence associated with the quiz will be stored Switzerland Tourism) is in Switzerland or archived. No legal recourse is permitted.

70 — Bulletin 2 / 2016 Illustration: Kerry Hyndman 160 years of commitment to Switzerland.

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