AlpTransit Gotthard Ceneri Base Tunnel – the logical continuation in the south Only with the Ceneri Base Tunnel as continuation of the Gotthard Base Tunnel will the new Gotthard route become a continuous flat route for passenger and goods traffic through the Alps. With a length of 15.4 km, after the Gotthard and Lötschberg base tunnels the Ceneri Base Tunnel is Switzerland's third-longest railway tunnel. The Ceneri Base Tunnel is scheduled to become operational at the end of 2020. MF 1 2 CONTENTS Switzerland's transport policy 3 The flat route 4 For passengers and goods the railway 5 From idea to implementation 6 Assured financing 7 The Ceneri Base Tunnel 8/9 Complex geology 10 Precise surveying 11 Driving and lining 12/13 Protecting the environment 14 The tunnel infrastructure systems 15 The railway infrastructure systems 16 The railway track 17 Tractive power supply and overhead conductor 18 The safety systems 19 Telecommunications 20 Commissioning 21 The Gotthard Base Tunnel 22/23 Frankfurt / Hamburg / Rotterdam Paris Vienna Basel Zurich Paris Berne Gotthard Lötschberg Geneva Ceneri Links to the European High-Speed Network Turin Milan Transit axes through Switzerland Venice NRLA − New Rail Link through the Alps Avignon Genoa Spain Rome SWITZERLAND'S TRANSPORT POLICY 3 With the New Rail Link through the Swiss voters have confirmed this policy with its three base tunnels through the Alps (NRLA), important goals of in several referendums. In 1994 they ac- Lötschberg, the Gotthard and the Ceneri. Switzerland's transport policy can cepted the Alpine Initiative, according to Ultimately, the NRLA will provide railway be implemented: transfer of goods which heavy traffic through Switzerland goods traffic with a fast and efficient transportation from road to rail and should travel by rail. In practical terms, route through Switzerland. For passenger improvements in passenger traffic. this means that a maximum of 650,000 traffic, journey times between centres in road trucks per year should cross the Alps. the north and south will be substantially Every year, around one million road trucks reduced. Trains have been travelling cross the Swiss Alps. However, the peo- The new transalpine link through the Lötschberg Base Tunnel since ple of Switzerland want to protect the To achieve this ambitious goal, Switzer- 2007. The Gotthard Base Tunnel became sensitive Alpine region from the effects of land has implemented a number of meas- operational at the end of 2016. The Cen- excessive traffic. For this reason, since the ures. These include a distance-related eri Base Tunnel is scheduled to become 1980s Switzerland has pursued a sustain- heavy-vehicle tax (HVT) and financial operational at the end of 2020. able transport policy. At its heart is the support for goods traffic on the railways. transfer of as much transalpine traffic as To increase the capacity of the railways, possible from the roads to the railways. Switzerland has constructed the NRLA The NRLA in the European railway network Traffic congestion on the Gotthard route m a. sl. 2500 m 2000 m 1500 m 1000 m Göschenen Airolo Arth-Goldau Lugano 500 m Chiasso Milan 0 m Basel Zurich Zug Erstfeld Biasca Bellinzona Gotthard Ceneri 4 THE FLAT ROUTE Underneath the Gotthard and the Benefits for goods and cut their journey times substantially. In Ceneri the first flat route through the passenger traffic addition, the elimination of height differ- Alps is being built. With minimum The gradients and curve-radii of this ences allows more, longer and heavier gradients and curves, it runs from new north-south axis are comparable goods trains to pass, which, because Altdorf to Lugano. The highest point to those of railway lines in the plain. of the shortened distances, also reach is 550 metres above sea level – the Consequently, distances are reduced, their destinations sooner. Furthermore, same height as Switzerland's capital maximum speeds are increased, and mar- Switzerland is also upgrading the ap- city, Berne. shalling of trains becomes unnecessary. proach lines on the Gotthard axis so that semi-trailers with a corner-height of four The Alps present a topographical obstacle The flat route shortens the distance from metres can also be carried on trains right to European traffic. To provide more effi- Basel to Chiasso by 40 km and has a across Switzerland and beyond, to the cient transit routes between northern and maximum gradient of only 12.5 per thou- major railway terminals in northern Italy. southern Europe, Switzerland is investing sand, much less than that of the Gotthard in the construction of new railway links. and Ceneri mountain routes, both with At their heart is construction of the NRLA maximum gradients of 26 per thousand. Gotthard axis with its two base tunnels With passenger trains travelling at speeds under the Gotthard and the Ceneri. of up to 250 km/h, the new routes Flat route through the Gotthard and Ceneri South portal of the Gotthard Base Tunnel at Bodio FOR PASSENGERS AND GOODS THE RAILWAY 5 The NRLA is a project of the century. economical and more environmentally- minutes less than formerly. When the The flat route enhances the envi- friendly. Since the changeover to the new Ceneri Base Tunnel is also operational, Lu- ronmentally compatible transport timetable at the end of 2016, up to five gano will be reachable from Zurich in less of goods by rail. And for passenger trains per hour can travel in both direc- than two hours. From the end of 2020, traffic, the NRLA cuts the total journey tions – 30 percent more than formerly. the time-saving between German-speak- time between north and south by up This means that up to 210 goods trains a ing Switzerland and the Ticino will be up to one hour. day can travel through the Gotthard Base to one hour, and the journey time to Mi- Tunnel. lan will be cut to just under three hours. For the increased transfer of goods to the railways to be successful, rail transport With the Ceneri Base Tunnel and the Not only long-distance traffic but also re- must be competitive with road transport. 4-metre corridor, the competitiveness gional traffic in the Ticino will be substan- The flat route through the Gotthard and of the railway on the north-south axis is tially improved: from the end of 2020 the Ceneri will provide a real alternative. greatly increased. connections between Lugano, Bellinzona and Locarno will be expanded and jour- More efficient and more economical Quantum leap for passengers ney times significantly shortened. Thanks goods traffic For passengers, the NRLA through the to the new direct connection between For goods traffic, the new Gotthard Gotthard signifies a quantum leap: Zurich Locarno and Lugano – the so-called Tunnel brings increased capacity, faster and Lugano come within commuting dis- «Bretella» – the train journey will take connections and improved reliability. tance. Since the changeover to the new only 30 minutes instead of 58 minutes. With trains up to 750 metres long, goods timetable at the end of 2016, the journey traffic becomes more efficient, more time from Zurich to Lugano is up to 25 Increased capacity for goods traffic Quantum leap for passengers with the NRLA 6 FROM IDEA TO IMPLEMENTATION With construction of the flat route ative was accepted, which incorporates Base Tunnel on the north side of the through the Alps, Switzerland is protection of the Alpine region into the Alps began. In July 2000 at Bodio, the writing transport history. The idea Swiss Constitution. And in 1998, with first blast on the south side took place. of a flat crossing of the Alps is not their acceptance of the distance-related On October 15, 2010, fourteen years new. The first vision of a Gotthard heavy vehicle tax (HVT), as well as the after preparatory work commenced, the base tunnel was already conceived in federal government's proposal for con- final breakthrough of the Gotthard Base 1947. However, the first preparatory struction and financing of public trans- Tunnel was achieved. And in 2016, the work on the Gotthard Base Tunnel port infrastructure projects (FinöV), the Gotthard Base Tunnel was opened and only began in the 1990s. people of Switzerland gave their final put into operation. At 57 kilometres, it is go-ahead for construction of the NRLA. the world's longest railway tunnel. First visions and decisions In 1947, the engineer Carl Eduard Driving through the Gotthard Work on the Ceneri Base Tunnel started Gruner, of Basel, sketched the visionary and Ceneri in 2006. In January 2016, final break- idea of a double-deck combined road- In spring 1999, the Swiss federal gov- through in the west tube of the Ceneri and rail-tunnel between Amsteg and ernment gave its official authorisation Base Tunnel took place. When the Ceneri Bodio as part of a rapid-transit railway for construction of the Gotthard Base Base Tunnel becomes operational at the system. In 1963, the Swiss federal gov- Tunnel. In November 1999, with a first end of 2020, construction of the NRLA ernment established a committee for a blast at Amsteg, driving of the Gotthard will be complete. «Railway Tunnel through the Alps». It evaluated various base-tunnel solutions and in 1970 recommended construction AB of a Gotthard base tunnel from Amsteg to Biasca. In 1989, the federal council de- cided to implement a so-called «network variant»: a combination of transalpine 1 railway routes through the Gotthard and Lötschberg, along with the Hirzel Tunnel as link to eastern Switzerland. m 2 Pathmaking referendums 19,60 A. Compact rock B: Fractured rock In 1992, with a 64% majority, the Swiss 1. Exhaust duct and high-voltage line electorate accepted the federal govern- 2.