THE EPOCH-MAKING PROJECT.

IN 2017, A VISION WILL BECOME REALITY – trains will travel at speeds of up to 250 kilometers per hour through the Gotthard. With the Gotthard Base Tunnel, the heart of the New Alpine Transversal (NEAT), at 2× 57km the longest railway tunnel in the world, is being built in Switzerland. The Swiss pioneering project will provide Europe with a high-performance rail corridor through the middle of the Alps, with the aim of transferring the majority of road transport onto the railway.

The Gotthard Base Tunnel consists of two single-lane tunnel tubes. Overall, a total of 152 kilometers of tunnels, passages and shafts are being created for the Gotthard Base Tunnel project. 94% of the tunnel system had been excavated by March 1, 2010. Two enormous underground stations are being built with the two multifunctional stations near Faido and Sedrun. Here, trains can change between the tubes and halt in stopping bays in emergencies.

FOUR HERRENKNECHT GRIPPER TUNNEL BORING MACHINES (TBMs) are excavating and securing 75% of the main tubes of the new Gotthard Base Tunnel, more than 85km. Gripper TBMs achieve top performances in stable rock formations. Following the start of the tunnelling work in 2003, the four Herrenknecht Gripper TBMs had completed more than 80 kilometers of the main tubes for the Gotthard Base Tunnel by March 2010. Over 10.5 million cubic meters of rock have been excavated and transported out of the tunnel. New tunnelling records have been achieved. Best tunnelling performance in 24 hours: 56 meters. After seven years, the tunneling works for the main tubes are close to being completed. The final breakthroughs in Sedrun are expected in fall 2010. The Gotthard Base Tunnel – a worldwide outstanding pioneering work. Made in Switzerland.

TBMs Gabi 1 & 2 // 2× 7.1km

• April and May 2008 – Start of regular tunnelling.
• On July 19, 2009 – Gabi 2 completed 56m of tunnel in only 24 hours. This is deemed to be a world record for a TBM of such dimensions.
• June 16, 2009 and September 16, 2009 – Gabi 1 & 2 reached their targets after only 18 months, 6 months ahead of schedule. The axis at destination only deviated 4mm horizontally and 8mm vertically.
• Best tunnelling performances – 56m/day, 185m/week, 711m/month

TBMs Gabi 1 & 2 // 2× 10.7km

• October 2003 and January 2004 – Start of regular tunnelling.
• 2004 – The machines passed the Intschi zone much faster than planned.
• June 2005 – Fine material mixed with water entered the cutterhead of Gabi 2 2,200 meters beneath the Chrüzlistock mountain. The loose area in front of the machine had to be stabilized with a mixture of cement and bentonite. A 50-meterlong tunnel was driven from the east tube to the west tube to free the cutterhead from the front. Regular tunnelling could be restarted on November 15, 2005.
• June and October 2006 – The construction site teams completed tunnelling 9 and 6 months ahead of schedule respectively. The TBMs were dismantled underground and transported back through the tunnel.
• Best tunnelling performances – 40m/day, 210m/week, 688m/month

TBMs Sissi and Heidi // 2× 11.1km

• 2007 – After the transport of the two Gripper TBMs through the Faido multifunctional station, the TBMs were completely overhauled and equipped with new, larger cutterheads ( 9.43m).
• July and October 2007 – Start of regular tunnelling. On the first kilometers, the machines had to bore through schistose gneisses which are sometimes prone to strong deformation.
• October 12, 2008 – The 150m long Piora Basin was successfully crossed. Tunnelling performance as of March 15, 2010 – East tube 8,941m, west tube 8,366m
• Best tunnelling performances so far – 36m/day, 179m/week, 705m/month

TBMs Sissi 13.4km // TBM Heidi 14.1km

• January and February 2003 – Start of regular tunnelling.
• 2003 – After only 200 meters, the TBMs unexpectedly encountered unstable kakirites, which considerably slowed down tunneling for 6 months. Every meter of completed tunnel must be secured in a complex process.
• 2004 to 2006 – Sections consisting of firm rock alternated with brittle rock which contains squeezing rock, in which the excavated tube deformed by up to 20cm, and posterior profiling was necessary.
• September 6, 2006 and October 26, 2006 – Breakthrough at the Faido multifunctional station.
• Best tunnelling performances – 38m/day, 190m/week, 619m/month