Construction begins

4 July 1999
Countdown at the Lötschberg
Countdown at the Lötschberg

Four days before the official first blasting at the Lötschberg: the Ferden access tunnel near Goppenstein is driven further into the rock. (1999, Alptransit Gotthard Ltd)

Construction of the NRLA is officially deemed to begin with the first blasting for the Lötschberg Base Tunnel on 5 July 1999. The first blasting at the Gotthard takes place on 4 November 1999. These dates are important for politicians and the general public, who follow construction of the new tunnel with great interest; but exploratory borings had already been carried out at both locations as far back as 1993. These in turn have their origins in the project planning from the mid-1980s.

« AlpTransit Gotthard is the construction project of the century. »

AlpTransit Gotthard Ltd, Rail technology dossier, 1999 version, 05.07.1999

Tunnel boring machine

2010, Alptransit Gotthard Ltd

Tunnel boring machine

Tunnel boring machine, 2010 (Alptransit Gotthard Ltd)

Installing rail infrastructure systems on the Gotthard line

2010, Alptransit Gotthard Ltd

Installing rail infrastructure systems on the Gotthard line

Installing rail infrastructure systems on the Gotthard line, 2010 (Alptransit Gotthard Ltd)

Lötschberg Base Tunnel drive

Lötschberg Base Tunnel drive

Lötschberg Base Tunnel drive

57'091 meters

length of the Gotthard Base Tunnel (east bore)

12.5 per mille

planned maximum gradient on the Gotthard base line

34'577 meters

length of the Lötschberg Base Tunnel (east bore)

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