Port Townsend, today. This story "side tracked" by our celebration of the Grand Trunk Pacific anniversary last month. On March 23, 2011, AlpTransit Gotthard AG (ATG) announced the breakthrough of the West Tube of the Gotthard Base Tunnel.
A pair of Tunnel Boring Machines had completed the East Tube, last year, on October 15, 2010. This event completes the raw construction of the world's longest railroad tunnel, the twin tube Gotthard Base Tunnel, far beneath the Swiss Alps.
Actual tunnel boring began in 2003. The Gotthard Base Tunnel, at 57 km (35.4 miles), surpasses, by approximately 2 miles, the Seikan Tunnel in Japan. The Gotthard Base Tunnel is now the longest railroad tunnel in the world.
Moreover, track geometry will allow train speeds of freight 140 km/h (87 mph) and passenger 250 km/h (155 mph.)

- Western tunnel: 56.978 km (35.404miles)
- Eastern tunnel: 57.091 km (35.475miles)




Positive Train Control will be achieved through Electronic Interlocking, European Train Control System Level Two (ETCS-2) and a Centralized Traffic Control System (CTC.) PTC will permit travel speed to increase from 140 km/h (87 mph) to 250 km/h (155 mph) and transit time between Zurich and Milan will be reduced from 3 h 40 m to 2 h 40 m.
Of course, ventilation is a major concern. Track-side components have to withstand the pressure wave created by a high speed train in transit. And one cannot dismiss the likelihood of fire. A touchy subject for sure.


Factoid: In those areas where the Tunnel Boring Machines could not be used because of rock conditions, dynamiting was employed. The raw tunnel diameter was increased by three feet. Squeezed by millions of tons of rock from the Alps, the tunnel compressed to project diameter!
Factoid: 400,000 concrete ties (sleepers) will be installed.
AlpTransit Gotthard is expected to "hand over the keys" to Swiss Federal Railways (SBB,) in operating condition, in May 2016.
Further readings:
Building the Gotthard Base Tunnel The page is in German, but there is a button in the top right page corner, to select the English version.
Gotthard Base Tunnel: Describes the hazards of construction of a multifunctional station in a Large Fault Zone
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