1. 57.1 km to
link the North
and South
of Europe
Switzerland does not do
things halfway!
As a mountainous country in the heart
of Europe, Switzerland needs fast,
modern and efficient transport routes.
With the opening of the Gotthard
base tunnel in 2016, Switzerland and
Europe start a new chapter in the field
of transport and communication.
Switzerland at a glance
Area 41,285 km2
Population 8.2 million
of which 24 % foreign nationals
4 national languages
German, French,
Italian, Romansh
Federal state since 1848
26 cantons
2,300 communes
The world’s longest railway tunnel
Stretching 57.1 km, the Gotthard base tunnel is the world’s longest railway
tunnel, surpassing Japan’s Seikan Tunnel (53.9 km).
This project of the century embodies the Swiss values of innovation,
precision and sustainability. It also represents a vital contribution
to Europe’s infrastructure.
Photos:©AlpTransitGotthardAG,©Keystone
#gottardo2016
©2016, FDFA / Presence Switzerland

2. The
Gotthard
base tunnel
The Gotthard base tunnel is the
centrepiece of the New Rail Link
through the Alps (NRLA), the
most ambitious project ever to be
undertaken in Switzerland. In total,
the NRLA is composed of three base
tunnels – Lötschberg (2007), Gotthard
(2016) and Ceneri (2020) – along with
various access tunnels.
Advantages for freight
trains
A level rail route brings many
advantages, making it possible for
longer and heavier trains to pass,
requiring fewer locomotives and
reducing transit times. Transit capacity
passes from 180 to 260 freight trains
per day.
Advantages for travellers
Once work is finished along the
Gotthard line, travellers will save
around 1 hour between Zurich
and Milan. The new tunnel will
accommodate up to 65 passenger
trains per day.
Switzerland has invested roughly
CHF 23.5 billion, or 3.5 % of its GDP,
in the NRLA project.
At 57.1 kilometres in length, the
Gotthard base tunnel is the longest
rail tunnel in the world. And with up
to 2,300 metres of rock above it, it is
also the deepest. The railway has no
incline, and its highest point is at an
altitude of 550 metres.
Photos:©ChristianAeberhard,©AlpTransitGotthardAG,©Keystone

3. The
tunnel at
a glance
Length 57.1 kilometres
Official opening 1 June 2016
Entry into service 11 December 2016
North entrance Erstfeld / canton of Uri
South entrance Bodio / canton of Ticino
End-to-end travel time 20 minutes
Construction time (without test drilling) 17 years
Workers and technical staff up to 2,400 people
from around 15 countries
divided into 3 teams
working around the clock
Total cost of the NRLA 23.5 billion CHF
Gotthard base tunnel (57.1 km) 12.5 billion CHF
Lötschberg base tunnel (34.6 km) 5.3 billion CHF
Ceneri base tunnel (15.4 km) 3.5 billion CHF
Access tunnels 2.2 billion CHF
152 km of tunnel was cut from the
rock, resulting in 28.2 million tonnes of
excavated material in total.
The transit capacity is up to 260
freight trains and 65 passenger trains
per day. The maximum speed is 160
km/h for freight trains and 250 km/h
for passenger trains. In 2020, the
travel time between Zurich and Milan
will take 3 hours — around 1 hour
faster than before.
Photos:©AlpTransitGotthardAG,©Keystone

4. A Swiss contribution
in the heart of Europe
The Rotterdam-Genoa rail corridor, also known as the
Rhine-Alpine rail corridor, is Europe’s most important
north-south transit route. It stretches across Europe’s
industrial heartland and connects fast-growing economic
regions in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Italy and
Switzerland.
The development of the Rhine-Alpine rail corridor is a
priority for the European Union ­— so much so that it plans
to invest 25 billion EUR in its development over the next
few years.
The New Rail Link through the Alps (NRLA) and the
Gotthard base tunnel are at the heart of the Rotterdam-
Genoa corridor. This project will help improve the
competitiveness of rail freight, making it faster and more
efficient.
The Gotthard
base tunnel is
Switzerland’s
contribution
to Europe’s
transport policy
and aims to
increase the
competitiveness
of rail freight and
promote a shift
from road to rail.
Tunnel de base du Lötschberg
Tunnel de base
du Saint-Gothard
Tunnel de base
du Ceneri
Photos:©ChristianAeberhard,©AlpTransitGotthardAG,©Keystone
Netherlands, the port of Rotterdam
Italy, the port of GenoaGermany, Aachen, railway hub
Switzerland, a freight train above Sisikon,
Lake Lucerne
Belgium, the port of Antwerp

5. The Gotthard base
tunnel, a symbol of
Swiss values
The Gotthard base tunnel — the centrepiece of the
New Rail Link through the Alps (NRLA) — is a symbol of
Switzerland and its core values.
Sustainable transport policy. The NRLA is the keystone of
Switzerland’s transport policy; it is aimed at shifting freight
and passenger transport from road to rail.
Precision. Such a large-scale construction project requires
an extremely high level of precision, attainable only with
the most up-to-date and reliable measurement technology.
Innovation. Highly advanced technology and machinery
were required to build the tunnel.
Reliability. Construction work began in 1999 and will be
completed in 2016. The new tunnel will enter into service at
the end of this year.
International collaboration. The Gotthard base tunnel
is an idea born in Switzerland but its construction was
made possible thanks to the international teamwork by
specialised workers and companies from 15 different
countries.
The completion of excavation, on 15 October 2010, amply
illustrates the Swiss values with which this project of the
century was inspired. When the north and south sections
met, the vertical deviation was of just one centimetre while
the horizontal deviation was a mere eight centimetres.
Photos:©ChristianAeberhard,©AlpTransitGotthardAG,©Keystone

6. The
Gotthard
legend
With its strategic position bridging
North and South, the Gotthard
Pass has always played a major
role in commercial and cultural
exchange. Located at Switzerland’s
linguistic and cultural crossroads,
its symbolic importance has helped
make it legendary. It has been by
turns the roof of Europe, a transit
route for people and a symbol of
independence, national unity and
identity.
A historic transformation
The Schöllenen Gorge, on the Gotthard’s northern slopes,
proved an insurmountable obstacle until the 12th
century.
That was when the so-called Devil’s Bridge was built to
span the gorge and make travel over the pass possible.
Over the centuries, the Gotthard mule trail was widened
and adapted to evolving means of transport.
In 1871, Switzerland, Germany and Italy concluded an
agreement to jointly build a railway through the Gotthard
Pass. The opening of the railway in 1882 marked the
beginning of a shift from road to rail. At 15 kilometres long,
it was the longest rail tunnel in the world at the time.
In 1980, nearly 100 years after the first railway tunnel
opened, a 17 km long road tunnel through the Gotthard
Pass was completed.
The people’s road
through the ages
Lucerne to Milan
1291 17 days on foot
1862 28 hours by steamboat and
horse-drawn carriage
1882 10 hours by train
2015 4 hours by train
2020 2 hours and 48 minutes by train
A transit route for the
people
The Gotthard Pass is also known as
the via delle genti in recognition of its
importance — from early on — as a
transit corridor for travellers, albeit less
so for goods.
Photos:©swiss-image.ch/MaxSchmid,©KunsthausZürich,©AlpTransitGotthardAG,©Keystone

7. Swiss
world
records
The Gotthard base tunnel is not the
only Swiss world record. Should
Switzerland’s achievements ever
be doubted, the following stunning
records would prove otherwise.
The world’s longest staircase
Mount Niesen, in the Bernese Alps, is often called the
Swiss Pyramid owing to its distinctive triangular shape. At
the annual Niesen stairway run, over 200 athletes take on
the challenge of climbing the mountain via the staircase
next to the rails of the funicular. This stairway to heaven is
the best way to get to the top by foot: a mere 11,674 steps
and 1,723 metres separate the valley from the summit.
The Guinness Book of World Records confirms it, it is the
longest staircase in the world.
The largest alphorn concert in history abroad, put on by
the Swiss… in Italy.
The Swiss Yodeling Association decided to put together
a unique event at Expo Milano 2015 to celebrate the firm
and lasting ties between Italy and Switzerland. Sparing
no effort, the organisers convinced 420 alphorn players to
take the train to Milan — together with their instruments.
Their performance earned Switzerland yet another entry in
the Guinness Book of World Records.
The Swiss are world champions in tunnel construction and
total kilometres of train travel
In 2014 alone, they covered an average of 2,288 kilometres
per person, roughly 200 more than the Japanese, who
took second place with 2,042 km. The next three countries
in the ranking are Austria with 1,367 km, France with 1,271
km and the United Kingdom with 1,056 km. In terms of
number of trips, the Japanese top the list with 72 per year,
followed by the Swiss with 59, up from 53 in 2013, and
Luxembourgers with 40, the Danes and Austrians tied at
29.
Photos:©ChristianAeberhard,©AlpTransitGotthardAG,©Keystone

8. The
people
have the
final say
The New Rail Link through the Alps
(NRLA) project has the direct support
of the Swiss people who, in several
referendums, approved the project
and its funding.
1992: The people approve the NRLA
project with 64 % of yes votes.
1994: The people and the cantons
approve the Alpine Initiative with 52 %
of yes votes and 19 cantons and half-
cantons out of 26.
1998: The people approve a transit tax on heavy goods
vehicles with 57 % of yes votes and a rail modernisation
scheme that secures funding for the NRLA with 64 % of
yes votes.
2014: The people approve a draft law for funding and
upgrading the rail infrastructure with 62 % of yes votes.
“Switzerland has undertaken an
unprecedented civil engineering
project that will benefit our
generation and generations to
come”
Federal Councillor Doris Leuthard, head of the Swiss
Federal Department of the Environment, Transport,
Energy and Communications, speaking at the Swiss
Pavilion at Expo Milano 2015 on 8 June 2015
Photos:©ChristophSonderegger,©ChristianAeberhard,©AlpTransitGotthardAG,©Keystone