Results for Tunnel construction
The long-standing committee
The legendary Gotthard mountain range also gives its name to a committee. Dedicated to promoting development of the Alpine axis, it was formed in 1853.
View eventKeeping danger in check
Building a tunnel is a dangerous undertaking for those working on it. Various construction sites at the Gotthard attest to the fact that safety precautions are being progressively improved.
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 first base tunnel
Long before the Gotthard and Lötschberg, the first base tunnel in Swiss rail history is driven through the hills at Hauenstein near Olten.
View eventCar vs rail
Rail has held onto its lead for a long time, but with the opening of the Gotthard road tunnel in 1980 road transport through the Alps mounts a strong challenge.
View eventTunnel vision
The NRLA is architecture. A minimalist formal language pervades its every construction, even down to the barely visible tunnels.
View eventWork begins
The NRLA is far more than just the Gotthard Base Tunnel, but the first exploratory boring for the NRLA project takes place at the Gotthard.
View eventSupervision
Responsibility for ensuring that the large-scale project proceeds efficiently and in accordance with the law lies with parliament’s supervisory delegation.
View eventConstruction begins
Although work actually began earlier, the first blasting at the Lötschberg is regarded as the official start of NRLA construction.
View eventGeology and surveying
Tunnel construction depends on scientific knowledge. Geology helps to find ways through the rock.
View eventConstruction of the Ceneri tunnel
The Ceneri Base Tunnel is the third major project forming part of the NRLA. Although somewhat overshadowed by the Gotthard and Lötschberg tunnels, it will usher in a new era for regional transport in Ticino.
View eventBreakthrough in the Gotthard
The Gotthard Base Tunnel is the centrepiece of the NRLA. The first breakthrough by a boring machine takes place in the east bore.
View eventTraversing the Piora Basin
The Piora Basin, with its sugar-grain rock, threatens to endanger construction of the Gotthard Base Tunnel.
View eventNo to the Porta Alpina
It is a popular vision: the Porta Alpina to connect Sedrun and the Surselva via a lift to the Gotthard Base Tunnel.
View eventRock meets concrete
The Gotthard Base Tunnel is a high-tech product – and, like every tunnel, the result of much hard graft: by labourers, masons and concrete layers.
View eventTests on the Gotthard
There is a lot of technology in the new Gotthard line. Extensive tests are carried out to ensure it works properly.
View eventTunnels of the world
Whose tunnel is the longest? Tunnel construction is a never-ending competition for the world record.
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 eventCeneri, the third base tunnel
The NRLA is more than its three tunnels, but they are convenient media labels for the project stages. Completion of the Ceneri Base Tunnel in 2020 marks the end of the NRLA.
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