The epoch-making gotthard base tunnel project.

1.

March 23, 2011: Breakthrough in the Western tube and world record at the Gotthard Base Tunnel. Tunnelling for the world’s longest railway tunnel is finished.

2.

March 23, 2011. Breakthrough in the Western tube.

3.

The first tunnel workers climb through the cutterhead.

4.

October 15, 2010: Breakthrough of the 57-km long eastern tube. An important milestone at the Gotthard Base Tunnel.

5.

Enthusiastic miners.

6.

Here today: Louis Favre, the first Gotthard railway tunnel's "father". He could not witness “his“ breakthrough in 1880 – he died a few months before it occurred.

7.

Miners with the Swiss Federal Councillor Moritz Leuenberger.

8.

October 15, 2010 2.17pm.

9.

The historic breakthrough was achieved.

10.

Miners changing disc cutters.

11.

The tunnel alignment passed through heterogeneous soil formations, each time posing new challenges for the miners.

12.

To save time works along the different sections were carried out in parallel. In giant underground caverns...

13.

... mostly TBM assembly works were carried out.

14.

2 x 9 hours of tunnelling were followed by maintenance shifts with cutting tool changes depending on the wear.

15.

Challenge: The logistics chains for material supply and muck removal.

16.

After almost four years of tunnelling: Breakthrough in Faido.

17.

Scrutinizing look through the cutterhead.

18.

Rear view: Maintenance and inspection work is being carried out behind the cutterhead of the Gripper TBM.

19.

A breather – for maintenance and inspection works.

20.

Saint Barbara Memory, the patron saint of miners.

21.

One of two Herrenknecht Gripper TBMs for the Joint Venture TAT and the southern sections.

22.

Gripper TBM rock support is carried out using roof bolts, mesh, steel arches and shotcrete.

23.

One of two Herrenknecht Gripper TBMs for the Joint Venture AGN on the the northern sections.

24.

June 16 and September 16, 2009: Successful completion of the mechanically driven sections with breakthroughs achieved six months ahead of schedule.

25.

Cold above ground, hot underground: Rock temperatures reach up to 50 degrees celsius. Water cooling and ventilation systems provide bearable work conditions.

26.

Prelined tunnel: in a next step the railway technology will be installed.