…Sunday evening featured for an hour on the Discovery Channel…The planning, and describing how they are building the 35 mile long rail tunnel through the Swiss Alps…
A program with the most modern drilling techniques to speed up the construction with a projected completion date I believe it said around 2009…They are drilling from about 6 different faces along the length to speed up the process…A very interesting program. Believe this project was featured in TRAINS mag. last year…
The Gothard Base Tunnel,
They’ve a web site and everything.
http://www.alptransit.ch/pages/e/
I went there on an industrial visit a couple of years ago… It’s Very nice…
…Great on the website…I now have it in my Favorites to get back to it easy and check on progress…
For Modelcar and Hugh Jampton. Many thanks for an interesting thread and a reference to the AlpTransit web site; l have also bookmarked this web site I am also curious when the Gotthard Base Tunnel will be completed. The present Gotthard tunnel runs from Ariolo to Goschenen where passengers can transfer to the Furka Oberalp for a trip through the Schollen Gorge to Andermatt. What will happen to the present Gotthard Tunnel once the new Gotthard Base Tunnel is open? Will the Furka Oberalp keep its Andermatt - Goschenen line in operation if the line through the present Gtthard Tunnel is abandoned?
We are planning a trip to Europe this fall, and photographing trains on the Gotthard line at Ariolo and Goschenen is on my “to do” list. i guess it should be a high priority item on my “to do” list before the new Gotthard Base Tunnel opens; that is why i am curious when the Gotthard Base tunnel will open.
Rudy: I believe they are projected for a 2009 completion date…and according to the TV program I watched it indicates the new tunnel / rail route will haul many cars and trucks through the new route and freeing the highway route of clogging conditions during the season it is open. The program showed the massive backups on the highway route as it is now during high traffic times…It is an interesting project. That should be a great visit you plan to be in that area to see just what has been accomplished…
The Gotthard Base Tunnel will hole though in 2015 and open for traffic in 2017.
My understanding is that the present route will remain for local traffic.
…Good on correction for tunnel completition date.