# World's longest RR tunnel (35.4 miles) set to open



## HighBall (May 24, 2016)

The tunnel will cut one hour off the Zurich - Milan route.

Photos and article here


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## KmH (May 24, 2016)

1993 (sounding drills), 1996 (preparations), 2003 (mechanical excavation)

23 years in the making.

$12.1 B $$,$$$,$$$,$$$


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## Eric S (May 25, 2016)

If only the US could build as efficiently as Switzerland (or any number of other wealthy countries that build far more cheaply than we seem able to)


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## fairviewroad (May 25, 2016)

I was reading this thinking that it would be an awfully long time to be underground. But it says that the trip through the tunnel will take about 20 minutes, assuming the projected speed is maintained. I would guess that it's very common to be underground on a subway train in NYC and many other places for longer than that on a given ride. So I suppose being whisked along at 155 mph on a comfortable newish train will be far more comfortable than a decades old, crowded, bumpy subway car. [And more expensive, of course].

Still, that's probably a lot of good scenery that you'll miss. But I suppose regular riders don't care so much about the scenery.


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## CCC1007 (May 25, 2016)

My understanding is that the primary reason for the tunnel is to have lots of the freight trains that currently run on the old line rerouted onto the new line to allow for many more passenger trains on the old line, which is very scenic and serves several towns along the way.


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## jis (May 25, 2016)

Also removal of a sh*tload of trucks from the trans Gotthard highway, specially those transiting Switzerland to get between Germany and Italy.

The high speed express passenger service will run through the new base tunnel, whereas more local service will continue to use the classic line.


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## caravanman (May 25, 2016)

The Channel Tunnel between England and France is about 30 miles long, and you hardly notice the trip, you just whizz through, so I am sure the new longer tunnel will be just as calm and stress free to pass through!

Ed


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## jis (May 25, 2016)

caravanman said:


> The Channel Tunnel between England and France is about 30 miles long, and you hardly notice the trip, you just whizz through, so I am sure the new longer tunnel will be just as calm and stress free to pass through!
> 
> Ed


I wonder if they will go through the motions of shutting all inter car doors and such, as they do for fire safety in the Eurostar, when it enters the Chunnel.


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## Metra Electric Rider (Jun 1, 2016)

I seem to remember hearing years ago that the Swiss were somewhat anti-car (or highway) and hence want freight off roads so they don't need bigger highways and heavier traffic - plus it's easier to maintain a tunnel in winter than plowing a high mountain pass.


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## jis (Jun 1, 2016)

I am glad though that they will maintain regional passenger service on the Classic Gotthar line viia Goeschenen, Faido and Airolo, and down the triple loop from the Gotthard Massif into the Ticino Valley. one of my favorite rides. Done it at least half a dozen times in everything from a local milk drag to the Eurocity _Leonardo da Vinci_ (Milano - Zuerich). Given a choice, I'd always choose the classic line with its spectacular scenery and the classic Gotthard Tunnel.


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## ScouseAndy (Jun 1, 2016)

jis said:


> I am glad though that they will maintain regional passenger service on the Classic Gotthar line viia Goeschenen, Faido and Airolo, and down the triple loop from the Gotthard Massif into the Ticino Valley. one of my favorite rides. Done it at least half a dozen times in everything from a local milk drag to the Eurocity _Leonardo da Vinci_ (Milano - Zuerich). Given a choice, I'd always choose the classic line with its spectacular scenery and the classic Gotthard Tunnel.


Id recommend the Bernia Express route - Zurich->Chur->Tirano->Milan over the Alps on narrow gauge trains. It is one of the greatest train journeys in the world and if you get the chance take it. You can keep your express direct routes for freight and those who don't know better


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## jis (Jun 1, 2016)

Been there done that. But it really is not a viable alternative to the classic Gotthard route. Never has been. OTOH, if we are just talking scenic, nothing quite to beat the route of the Glacier Express, which I have also traveled several times on service ranging from local milk runs to the Glacier Express.

Actually Zurich, Goeschenen, Andermatt, St. Moritz, Tirano, Milan takes in parts of the Gotthard route, the Glacier Express route and the most scenic part of the Tirano route.  That was one my weekend romps in Switzerland and Italy, and then back to Zurich via the Simplon Loetschberg route from Milan.

Incidentally the other base tunnel is the Loetschberg base tunnel from the Rhone Valley towards Zurich.


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## Gemuser (Jun 2, 2016)

Metra Electric Rider said:


> I seem to remember hearing years ago that the Swiss were somewhat anti-car (or highway) and hence want freight off roads so they don't need bigger highways and heavier traffic - plus it's easier to maintain a tunnel in winter than plowing a high mountain pass.


This is a simplistic and rather unfair statement.

The Swiss have two MAJOR transport problems.

1) The topography which is steep and high which leads to a need for long tunnels. Very long road tunnels have proved pretty dangerous over the last few decade with double figure fatalities occurring every few years. Rail tunnels are MUCH safer. As a result the Swiss have stated they will NOT build any more long road tunnels, they build rail tunnels with car/truck carrying trains.

2) It's not economical for the Swiss to build a lot more roads [& railways, for that matter] because most of the traffic does not pay taxes, fees and contribute much to the economy in Switzerland because it is transit traffic between Germany/France and Italy, just Swiss traffic does not require anywhere near as much infrastructure. This lead to a dispute between Switzerland and the EU, after a very complicated series of arguments an agreement was reached where the EU pays for a lot, but not all, of infrastructure for transit traffic.

As a result of this agreement base tunnels, among other things, have been built/are being built, mainly for that transit traffic. The Loetschberg base tunnel is open, although the second bore is only partly completed. This tunnel is aimed at traffic from the Rhine valley/France via Basel & Bern. The Gotthard base tunnel is aimed at traffic from central & eastern Germany via Zurich.

I spent my summer holidays in Switzerland this January and rode both the Loetschberg original & base tunnel routes and the Gotthard original route. At Erstfeld, the northern portal of the base tunnel, there were large billboards advertising a lottery for tickets on the first few passenger carrying trains thru the base tunnel late this year.

I'm with "jis" in being glad that they will maintain regional passenger service on the Classic Gotthard line via Goeschenen. [not to mention the line up the Goeschenen George to Andermatt] like they have done on the traditional Loetschberg route. That traditional route is also spectacular, especially the climb out of the Rhone valley to the the tunnel. The base tunnel route is fast and efficient but is VERY boring!

Anybody the least bit interested in passenger & electric trains should spend some time in Switzerland!


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## jis (Jun 2, 2016)

Yeah I love the Goeschenen Andermatt route. Short but absolutely spectacular piece of engineering!


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## Rover (Jun 2, 2016)

Please excuse my ignorance about the rail tunnel, it's all diesel traffic and not electric?


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## jis (Jun 2, 2016)

Rover said:


> Please excuse my ignorance about the rail tunnel, it's all diesel traffic and not electric?


It is all electric. There is very little that is not electrified in Switzerland.


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## Gemuser (Jun 2, 2016)

Further to my post yesterday here is a link to the Wiki page on the Alp's Transit plan:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AlpTransit

As for the tunnels power source, yes its all electric as are most [all?] Swiss running lines. In a month roaming the system I saw some diesel shunting engines & unwired sidings but nothing remotely resembling a diesel road loco or unwired running line. I also found no diesel powered passenger lines [in winter], there could be some but they'd be obscure.


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## Rover (Jun 3, 2016)

jis said:


> Rover said:
> 
> 
> > Please excuse my ignorance about the rail tunnel, it's all diesel traffic and not electric?
> ...


Thanks... yes, tonight, I saw a video news story from the BBC and you can clearly see the electric power lines as the passenger train is entering the tunnel. So all of the freight trains will also be electric. I was only aware of passenger electric in use in the uS. Are there many freight electric runs in the US??


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## CCC1007 (Jun 3, 2016)

Rover said:


> jis said:
> 
> 
> > Rover said:
> ...


In the broadest sense yes, as almost every diesel is really a diesel-electric locomotive.


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## Eric S (Jun 3, 2016)

Rover said:


> I was only aware of passenger electric in use in the uS. Are there many freight electric runs in the US??


As far as strictly electric (as opposed to diesel-electric, as CCC1007 mentioned), no, not in the US (other than perhaps a short electric utility company railroad from mine to power plant, if any of those are still operating).

There once was a fair amount, particularly in the Northeast, as well as through tunnels in the West.


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## jis (Jun 3, 2016)

However, in the rest of the world, some of the most powerful freight locomotives are electric. Typically a few of them are quite a bit more powerful than the most powerful diesel locomotives used in the US.

As an example, here is a 6,350HP WAG-9 class freight locomotive in India (from Wikimedia under Wiki license):


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