Opened in 2016, the Gotthard Base Tunnel (GBT) is the world’s longest railway tunnel at 57 kilometres in length. The New Rail Link through the Alps (NRLA) along the Gotthard axis was completed when the Ceneri Base Tunnel entered operation in December 2020. The NRLA Gotthard axis was constructed by AlpTransit Gotthard AG (ATG).
For both people and goods, the NRLA offers a quicker and more reliable connection between the north and south. Faster, more frequent and convenient services together with new, modernised rolling stock considerably increase the transport quality on the north-south axis and offer more seating for passengers. With the completion of the NRLA, Ticino also now has a flexible regional express network that is well connected to the rest of Switzerland.
When it comes to freight traffic, the new Gotthard tunnel offers increased capacity, faster services and greater reliability. Thanks to the two base tunnels and upgrades to access routes, longer trains can be operated and larger loads (4-metre corridor) can be transported. Customers of freight transport companies benefit from efficient, congestion-free and environmentally friendly solutions for their logistics needs. This significantly increases the competitiveness of rail on the north-south axis.
AlpTransit Gotthard Ltd (ATG) was founded on 12 May 1998. The company is a subsidiary entirely owned by Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) and headquartered in Lucerne. It will be dissolved through a merger with SBB on 30 April 2023.
SBB has compiled a list of frequently asked questions about the Gotthard north-south axis for media professionals.
Start of operations.
When did the Gotthard Base Tunnel officially start operating?
With the timetable change which took effect on 11 December 2016.
How high are the operating and maintenance costs?
Maintenance of the Gotthard Base Tunnel: just under CHF 40 million per year
Maintenance of the structures and installations funded by the SBB’s NRLA guarantee credit (e.g. maintenance centres, new signal boxes in the north and south, substations): 4 million francs per year
Operation of the Gotthard Base Tunnel: approximately CHF 24 million francs per year (includes operation and intervention, operation of electrical and telecommunications systems and IT)
Total maintenance and operating costs of the Gotthard Base Tunnel: just under 68 million francs per year
Train speed.
What is the maximum speed for trains travelling through the Gotthard Base Tunnel?
The maximum speed permitted is 249 km/h.
How fast do passenger trains travel through the Gotthard Base Tunnel?
As a general rule, passenger trains travel through the Gotthard Base Tunnel at a speed of 200 km/h. This means that the journey through the tunnel takes about 20 minutes.
How fast do freight trains travel through the Gotthard Base Tunnel?
Freight trains travel at a minimum speed of 100 km/h.
Why do passenger trains not just always travel at the maximum speed limit?
As the difference in speed between freight services and passenger services on a particular route increases, the possible capacity on the route decreases.
In order to accommodate six train paths per hour in each direction for freight services (after the opening of the Ceneri Base Tunnel), as required by law, the speed for long-distance services has to be restricted to 200 km/h in the tunnel.
In the event of delays, the speed can be increased provided that the rolling stock and the operating situation allow for this.
How slowly can freight trains travel to enable the interaction with passenger services to work smoothly?
Freight trains must travel at a minimum speed of 100 km/h in order to achieve the required capacity of two passenger trains and six freight trains per hour in each direction. This capacity will be achieved when the Ceneri Base Tunnel is opened. For the time being, four freight trains and up to two passenger trains will run per hour in each direction every day.
Services.
How have services changed since the end of 2016 as a result of the Gotthard Base Tunnel?
Since December 2016, journey times between the German-speaking part of Switzerland and Ticino have been around 25–40 minutes shorter (depending on the route).
There are also faster, more frequent and more convenient services and more seats available.
How many passenger trains and freight trains travel through the Gotthard Base Tunnel on week days and at weekends since the end of 2016?
Passenger services:
Zurich-Milan EC service every two hours
Zurich-Lugano IC service every two hours
Basel-Lugano IC service every two hours
One new EC service from Zurich to Venice and one EC service from Basel SBB to Milan via Lucerne
There will therefore be three trains in every two-hour period.
Additional morning and evening trains will be laid on at weekends.
In terms of freight traffic, the market will dictate how the capacity is used.
How have services to Locarno been affected since the opening of the Gotthard Base Tunnel?
Locarno has also benefitted from the investments in the NRLA: Journeys between Locarno and Zurich are about 25 minutes shorter than they were. However, according to the current plans, there will no longer be any direct services to Locarno (the IR service previously offered has been withdrawn and IC/EC trains travel to Lugano/Milan).
All IC and EC services through the Gotthard Base Tunnel connect with TILO train services to and from Locarno in Bellinzona. The track and platform installations in Bellinzona and along the route to Locarno have been modernised and upgraded for this purpose.
What is being done to prevent the train paths in the new Gotthard tunnel increasingly being used for passenger traffic, as happened with the Lötschberg tunnel?
The new Gotthard tunnel was planned as a freight tunnel from the outset, as is clear from the usage concept, i.e. up to 6 train paths for freight services and 2 train paths for passenger services per hour in each direction (following the opening of the Ceneri Base Tunnel).
This allocation of capacity was fixed right at the start of the planning stage and did not change when the tunnel came into operation. The allocation is a reflection of integrated passenger and freight service planning.
Capacity planning for the new Gotthard Base Tunnel also provides the model for future plans regarding network usage, which are a feature of the new legislation on freight traffic whichwas scheduled for discussion by the Federal Assembly in 2017.
How many passenger trains and freight trains will be able to travel through the Gotthard Base Tunnel on week days and at weekends from the end of 2020 (i.e. after the opening of the Ceneri Base Tunnel)?
Two passenger trains and six freight trains (two to/from Luino and four to/from Chiasso)
During passenger service operating hours, only 5 train paths will be offered every two hours rather than 6, because long-distance trains will be stopping every two hours at Altdorf, the capital of the canton of Uri, meaning that there is no capacity for the 6th train path for freight services.
Overall, there is a freight transport capacity of 260 train paths per day.
Railway power supply.
Where does the electricity for the Gotthard Base Tunnel come from?
Electrical energy from hydro power plants in Amsteg in the canton of Uri and Ritom in the canton of Ticino is supplied to the substations via a low-loss system of transmission lines.
What happens if a substation or another piece of equipment fails?
Even when maintenance is being performed on one component, such as a contact line transformer in a substation, another component can also fail without the passenger noticing any difference.
Instead of installing all components in duplicate, an emergency power supply system has been put in place. This means that, if one substation fails, the adjacent substations can supply power without any interruption.
Are the expanded or new substations sufficient to ensure the future levels required, including for the Ceneri Base Tunnel and the railway power supply in Ticino?
No. Further expansion work will be required in order to supply the Ceneri Base Tunnel. This includes expansion of the substation on the frequency converter site in Giubiasco and the building of the new Vezia substation at the southern entrance to the Ceneri Base Tunnel.
The Tamaro and Ceneri transmission lines are being converted from their present rating of 66 kV to 132 kV so that the required power can be transmitted to Vezia.
The SBB and Azienda Elettrica Ticinese (AET) joint project to upgrade the Ritom power plant is due to start in 2018.
Telecommunications.
Can passengers make calls on their mobile phones and surf the internet without restrictions as they travel through the Gotthard Base Tunnel?
Yes. All Swiss mobile network providers are represented in the Gotthard Base Tunnel.
Are all trains which travel through the Gotthard Base Tunnel fitted with signal boosters?
All long-distance trains are fitted with signal boosters – the only exception is the ETR610 and these trains will be fitted with signal boosters by 2020 when the trains are overhauled.
Do the new trains (Giruno) have WiFi?
Yes, the new train Giruno will have WLAN.
On national Swiss services, WLAN does not provide the signal boosters with any additional bandwidth and coverage is very good over the full length of the routes. With the exception of the Giruno, SBB has therefore decided to continue to do without WLAN, opting instead for signal boosters and free WLAN at train stations.
On international services and on routes in Italy and Germany, the external coverage is considerably worse than coverage in Switzerland, so WLAN does offer an additional benefit for passengers.
You can find further information about mobile phone services in the background information entitled «Staying in touch on the move».
Maintenance of the Gotthard Base Tunnel / planned closures.
Why does the Gotthard Base Tunnel need so much maintenance work?
The Gotthard Base Tunnel is the longest railway tunnel in the world. The large and highly complex tunnel system complete with its many technical installations needs to be maintained.
What sort of work needs to be carried out in the Gotthard Base Tunnel?
All maintenance work on the system components listed below which cannot be carried out from an external location via remote access or by means of diagnostic vehicles travelling through as a normal train journey.
Examples include maintenance and cleaning work on drainage systems, electro-mechanical installations (tunnel ventilation, cross-passage doors etc.) and railway infrastructure (track, contact lines, safety systems etc.).
Are the maintenance and operating costs paid for by SBB?
Maintenance and operating costs are funded through the performance agreement with the federal government.
Gotthard and Ceneri Base Tunnel maintenance
vehicles.
What special / additional requirements apply to the new maintenance vehicles for the Gotthard Base Tunnel / Ceneri Base Tunnel?
Electro-diesel locomotive.
Speed: Fast processing times (automatic train coupling) and fast travelling speed (100 km/h).
Modular design so that the maintenance train can be put together as required, depending on the work to be carried out.
Climatic requirements for operating in the tunnel as well as on the existing lines need to be met.
Air-conditioned transport, communal and workshop carriage for staff.
Multiple traction operation from one driver’s cab.
Mountain route.
What happens now with the mountain route?
SBB will continue to operate an hourly passenger service on the mountain route.
Just like the Lötschberg route, the Gotthard mountain route will also be available for use as an alternative route to the Gotthard Base Tunnel for passenger services (with the exception of vehicles with a 4-metre corner height, and double-deck trains and freight traffic).
Freight traffic cannot currently be transported via the mountain route due to restrictions in terms of the structure gauge.
What level of demand are you expecting for the mountain route once the Gotthard Base Tunnel has started operating?
Around 800 to 1,000 passengers per day travelling on the route north and south of the Gotthard (status as of May 2018).
What sort of service will SBB be offering?
2017: an hourly Lugano/ Bellinzona – Erstfeld RE service (extension of the TILO RE line to Erstfeld) with additional stops in Ambri-Piotta and Lavorgo. IR trains from Basel and Zurich will only run as far as Erstfeld. Individual journeys will be extended to Göschenen at weekends as a seasonal service. All services will connect with Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn services to Andermatt.
The modern FLIRT vehicles planned for the RE service feature low-floor access, air conditioning and panoramic windows and are therefore perfect for excursion traffic.
Mountain route services will also benefit when the Ceneri Base Tunnel enters into operation in December 2020. The RE Erstfeld – Bellinzona trains will operate an hourly direct service to Lugano and then continue as an S-Bahn service to Chiasso or Varese. Thanks to the Ceneri Base Tunnel, journeys between Leventina and Lugano will be around 15 minutes shorter.
From the end of 2020, there will be a morning and evening direct service from Erstfeld to Zug and Zurich.
Safety systems.
How can an incident be prevented?
Wayside train monitoring systems are fixed-installation monitoring systems which automatically detect irregularities in passing vehicles. The systems are installed close to the track and transmit a range of measurement data to an analysis system. If any vehicle irregularities are detected, information is sent to rail service staff and to the wayside train monitoring system intervention centre in Erstfeld. They then decide on the measures which are required in order to ensure operational safety. The following measurement systems are used to monitor trains round the clock:
Hot box and brake-locking detectors: detect overheating axle bearings and brakes which have got stuck.
Fire and chemical detectors: detect fire as soon as it starts and any leakage of hazardous goods.
Profile clearance and aerial detection: monitor the permitted clearance profile and protruding aerials.
Uplift measurement: detection of defects on pantographs in order to protect the contact line.
If an incident occurs, how can its impact be kept to a minimum?
Collisions are prevented thanks to the tunnel design with its separate tunnel tubes for each direction of travel.
There are two emergency stop stations to allow for evacuation procedures.
Rolling stock is fitted with emergency features which enable it to reach these emergency stop stations. This means that trains are fitted or upgraded with technical equipment which allows them to continue travelling a certain distance even after a fire has broken out in the train.
If the train stops outside the emergency stop station, positive pressure can be applied to the adjacent tunnel tube.
There are cross-passages into the adjacent tube every 325 metres, which allows for fast access into a safe area.
Two ventilation unitsin Sedrun and Faido as well as 24 jet fans at the tunnel entrances supply and extract air in the event of an incident. Positive pressure ventilation can be put into operation in the unaffected tunnel tube and the multifunction stations in order to protect people.
There is an open water conduit system in each tunnel tube. This is fed with 5 litres of water per second (continuous supply), so that contamination and hazardous substances can be transported to the retention basins in front of the tunnel entrance. Deflagration in the tunnel can therefore be prevented.
What measures are in place throughout the tunnel to enable passengers and crew to get themselves to safety?
If the train has to stop, special infrastructure is in place to help passengers get themselves to safety.
Emergency lighting, handrails, raised walkways (35 cm above the upper edge of the rails), signs, a fresh air supply and extraction system for any combustion gases as well as cross-passages to side galleries have all been provided.
How long would it take for the incident crew to arrive?
State-of-the-art fire-fighting and rescue trains are on stand-by at the Erstfeld and Biasca maintenance and intervention centres. The aim is to reach the site of an incident anywhere in the Gotthard Base Tunnel and to have started the rescue procedure within 45 minutes. People should be evacuated from the tunnel within 90 minutes.
Intervention and evacuation.
Is the Gotthard Base Tunnel safe?
The Gotthard Base Tunnel features state-of-the-art safety systems to protect passengers, staff and the tunnel itself. A range of wayside train monitoring systems (e.g. hot box detectors, wheel load checkpoints, fire and chemical detectors etc.) which are installed on the access routes to the tunnel enable any train defects to be detected early, before the trains enter the tunnel.
Thanks to the European Train Control System ETCS L2, trains can travel safely at high speed and at 3-minute intervals.
There are cross-passages into the adjacent tunnel tube every 325 metres, which guarantees fast access into a safe area. Emergency lighting, handrails and signs help passengers to find their way to safety.
You can find further information about safety in the Gotthard Base Tunnel in the presentation entitled «Safe passage through the new Gotthard Base Tunnel» on the right.
ETCS Level 2.
What is ETCS Level 2?
ETCS Level 2 is a cab-signalling and train control system which displays speed and route data and the authority to proceed to the driver in his cab.
Apart from a few indicator panels, in-cab signalling thus makes it possible to dispense with trackside signalling.
Train movements, together with the maximum speed for the local section, the train's maximum speed, the correct route and the direction of travel, are all continuously monitored by the radio block centre.
What are the advantages of ETCS Level 2?
Since ETCS Level 2 means that the speed of trains is monitored over the entire route, long-term safety can be improved further still with this system.
As ETCS equates to the train control standard harmonised throughout Europe, ETCS technology allows for easier European cross-border transport. Under European transport policy, the use of ETCS technology for new lines is mandatory for members.
Use of ETCS technology substantially reduces the costs of procuring and maintaining vehicles. With ETCS, just one system is needed on vehicles instead of the four train control systems which were previously necessary. This makes network access easier for vehicles.
Why is ETCS Level 2 needed on the Gotthard base line?
The Gotthard and Ceneri Base Tunnels have to be fitted with ETCS Level 2 for legal reasons due to the potential maximum speed of 250 km/h.
Given the exacting requirements in terms of capacity (trains three minutes apart), the access routes to these tunnels also need to be fitted with ETCS Level 2.
The Gotthard Base Tunnel provides a quicker, more reliable link between north and south for both people and goods. SBB is proud to be operating the longest railway tunnel in the world.
Facts & Figures.
2 Multifunction stations with water points for fire-fighting and rescue trains
4 Emergency stop stations, two per tunnel tube
13 Kilometres of new overground-line
A journey through the Gotthard Base Tunnel by passenger train takes less than 20 minutes
43 Points
50 Passenger trains travel through the tunnel each day
57 Kilometres is the length of the two parallel tunnel tubes
153 Kilometres of contact line
178 Cross-passages provide a safe space and a connection to the parallel tunnel tube every 325 metres
308 Kilometres of track
360 Axle counters
500 Kilometres of drainpipes
900 ETCS beacons
10000 Lights
2500 Electrical cabinets
The Ceneri Base Tunnel is the ‘little brother’ of the Gotthard Base Tunnel and was built using the same system. At 15.4 kilometres long, the Ceneri Base Tunnel is the NRLA’s third-largest construction project after the Gotthard and Lötschberg base tunnels; it is also Switzerland’s fifth longest railway tunnel. The north portal is in Camorino (Bellinzona) and the south portal is near Vezia. The tunnel consists of two single-track tubes around 40 metres apart, connected to each other every 325 metres by a total of 48 cross-passages.
Multiple structures are being built at the north portal in Camorino: bridges, railway viaducts and the ‘Bretella’, a new direct rail link between Locarno and Lugano. After twelve years of construction, the Ceneri Base Tunnel was put into operation in December 2020.
