Gotthard Base Tunnel

2000 - 2050

At 57 km long, the Gotthard Base Tunnel, which opened in 2016, is the longest railway tunnel in the world. Its highest point is situated at 550 m a.s.l. and its northern entrance is in Erstfeld (UR) while its southern entrance is in Bodio (TI). Thanks to the new tunnel, the route between Altdorf (UR) and Bellinzona (TI) is now 30 km shorter.

Treno merci nella Galleria di base del San Gottardo - © FFS
ETR 610 esce dalla Galleria di base del San Gottardo - © FFS

The Gotthard Base Tunnel is a symbol. The feat of the century. North and South have been brought closer 

Angela Merkel, German Chancellor, from the inaugural speech on the new Gotthard Base Tunnel  

Foto di gruppo degli ospiti ufficiali all’Infocentro di Pollegio, 2016

Without taking the land surveys into consideration, the construction work took seventeen years and involved up to 2,400 people working simultaneously over three shifts around the clock. Approximately 28.2 million tonnes of rock and earth were excavated during the construction process. The total cost of the tunnel amounted to 12.2 million francs.  

Fresa meccanica nella galleria di base del San Gottardo - © FFS
Il montaggio della linea di contatto nei pressi di Faido