Right across the Alps.
The new transalpine (“NEAT”) Gotthard and Lötschberg rail routes (Link: http://www.bav.admin.ch/alptransit/index.html?lang=de) boast two of the world’s longest railway tunnels. Northern and southern Europe are being brought ever closer, linked by fast, comfortable and environmentally friendly train services. The new north/south connections with their considerably increased range of services for passengers and capacity for freight are designed to shift traffic from road to rail, thus reducing the impact on the environment.
Gotthard corridor
Along the Gotthard corridor, a level-track rail route is under construction that crosses the Alps at a maximum altitude of 550metres above sea level. By way of comparison, the current mountain route goes as high as 1150 metres. As well as cutting journey times dramatically, the new route raises capacity and productivity, to the benefit of both passenger and freight services.
The main challenge and core elements of the level-track system are the 57 km Gotthard base tunnel and the 15 km Ceneri base tunnel, planned and built by AlpTransit Gotthard AG. The Gotthard base tunnel is due to come into service in time for the 2017/2018 timetable change and the Ceneri base tunnel by 2019/2020.
SBB has been chosen by the Federal Council to operate the new railway infrastructure for the Gotthard corridor and as such is obliged by the federal government to make the necessary preparations for services to begin. In order to achieve this, SBB is to open a new control centre in Pollegio and new maintenance and intervention centres in Erstfeld and Biasca. The overall traction current supply must also be adjusted to the needs of the new tunnels.
Access routes
To meet the federal government’s targets for the transfer of freight from road to rail – something that the new tunnels make possible – various measures must be taken to increase capacity on the access routes to the tunnels between Basel and Chiasso. These measures form part of the ZEB, the federal government's overall plan to develop rail infrastructure and are to be designed and implemented by SBB.
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