Results for Operations
An iron road made of steel
The rail is not a standard design: it goes through multiple variants in the course of its development.
View eventTicino sets the pace
The peripheral region of Ticino boasts some magnificent historic stations. The locals are quicker off the mark than their counterparts in central Switzerland, building while money is still available.
View eventInauguration of the Gotthard Tunnel
When it opens, the first tunnel through the Gotthard is the longest rail tunnel in the world. It is mostly financed by foreign capital.
View eventThe second tunnel
After the Gotthard, the Simplon Tunnel becomes the second rail line through the Swiss Alps. Now, western Switzerland is connected to the south.
View eventLink through the Lötschberg
The Lötschberg line and its tunnel connect Switzerland’s western plateau with Italy.
View eventThe battle with nature
Railways are a comparatively environmentally friendly means of transport. In the Alps, however, they come up against the forces of nature.
View eventWater replaces coal
Electrification of the Gotthard line is completed in 1924. Switzerland now gets the energy to power its trains from its own hydroelectric plants rather than coal from Prussia.
View eventRail tourism
Rail is a popular means of transport. Switzerland’s railway lines contribute to its success as a tourist destination.
View eventTraffic forecasts
Forecasts often turn out to be incorrect, but in 1990 the Federal Council gets it spot on.
View eventThe problem with slots
Planning rail traffic is a complex business: trains travelling on the same tracks can only overtake at a small number of places. The principal planning unit is known as a slot.
View eventRotterdam–Genoa
Expansion of the Rotterdam–Genoa freight axis makes slow progress. Italy lags behind on sea-port links.
View eventThe Lötschberg enters operation
With the opening of the Lötschberg Base Tunnel, a first section of the NRLA becomes operational.
View eventUsing the tunnels to get away
The vast majority of passengers taking the train for their journey through the Alps are travelling not for business but for pleasure.
View eventHigh-profile guests at the opening ceremony
No expense is spared at the Gotthard Base Tunnel inauguration ceremony in 2016. Merkel, Hollande and Renzi are in attendance, but not the heads of the EU.
View eventMind the doors
The escape doors installed in the Gotthard tunnel are the best there is. They owe their construction to the NRLA. One major innovation led to multiple minor innovations.
View eventA vulnerable transport system
When the track subsides at Rastatt in summer 2017, traffic grinds to a halt. The collapse highlights the fragility of Europe’s rail system.
View eventA language in themselves
Every wagon, coach and locomotive bears an assortment of cryptic symbols, letters and numbers without which the railway could not operate.
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