Tests on the Gotthard

30 September 2015
Fast and safe
Fast and safe

Before a new rail line goes into operation, high-speed test runs are carried out. An ICE train hurtles through the Gotthard at 275 kilometres an hour. (2015, Alptransit Gotthard Ltd)

Tests on the rail and safety technology systems of the new Gotthard line begin on 1 October 2015. By the end of May 2016, over 5,000 journeys with different trains reaching speeds of up to 275 kilometres an hour need to be completed. The aim is to ensure that every component of the tunnel is fit for purpose. Simulated accidents and evacuations test the safety systems and emergency responses.

« On 8 November, a train thundered through the western bore at top speed for the first time. »

Neue Luzerner Zeitung newspaper, front page, 19.11.2015

Fire in the Gotthard Base Tunnel – ventilation

undatet, Alptransit Gotthard Ltd

Fire in the Gotthard Base Tunnel – ventilation

Fire in the Gotthard Base Tunnel – ventilation, undatet (Alptransit Gotthard Ltd)

Testfahrt ICE-S 275km/h

2015, Alptransit Gotthard Ltd

Testfahrt ICE-S 275km/h

ICE-S test run at 275 km/h, 2015 (Alptransit Gotthard Ltd)

275 kilometres per hour

maximum speed achieved in tests

3'500 test journeys

completed before the opening of the Gotthard Base Tunnel in 2016

401 people

evacuated from an intercity tilting train as part of an emergency exercise

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