Large Scale Central

The Gotthard base tunnel

Prototypes
#1

Hi all,

They’re making progress on a very large project and the first breakthrough had a deviation from the axis of 20mm (.787") in the vertical and 50mm (1.968") in the horizontal plane. This is after the giant boring assembly [total length 400m (1312ft) bore diameter 8.8m (28.8ft)] had covered 13.5km (8.4miles) in the past four years.

Well, it was a big enough occasion to make the cover of the “Swiss Review” (mag for the Swiss ex-pats).
It’s just like drilling holes in a very large Swiss cheese. :wink: :slight_smile:

Minor correction: the distance from portal to portal is 57km, the Channel tunnel is 50.5km.

The total of all the bores (tunnels, ventilation shafts, access shafts etc. etc.) will be 153.5km (95miles).

#2

This is a very cool project. I read about it in a past issue of Trains.

#3

Crikey , nearly half as long as the Channel Tunnel .
There are some serious tunnels in the Alps , if you get the chance to read up on the problems constructing them , it makes grim reading , but shows a lot of ingenuity .
Minor corection . The Channel tunnel consists of three parallel bores and a significant number of rail fan bores . Ventilation shafts are kept to a minimum because they let water in .

#4

Of course in addition to the Gotthard base tunnel, there is also a base tunnel for the Lötschberg line being built.
Not quite as long but just as important and it will open long before the Gotthard project.

This is the BLS (Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon) project. it is only 34.6km (21miles) long. :slight_smile: :wink: Scheduled to open in 2007.