The Gotthard: a tunnel carving out history
The St. Gotthard region is a unique treasure trove of natural beauty, combined with an eventful history. If you are inspired by authentic cultural landscapes and mountain scenery, then this is THE MUST when you visit Switzerland. You will be fascinated by masterpieces of railway engineering the proud of Switzerland, country of innovation and technology.
The Gotthard Base Tunnel – the longest train tunnel in the world – will enter into scheduled service on December 11, 2016.It is the gateway between north and south. Switzerland’s geography is extreme to say the least, ranging from the long and winding to the steep and narrow, with the occasional sheer drop thrown in. The Gotthard pass is truly a living legend. This world’s longest rail tunnel is 57km long. This feat of Swiss engineering, which crosses the Alps and links the cantons of Uri and Ticino, was built by AlpTransit Gotthard SA, a subsidiary of the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB). Travel from north to south will be easier, more comfortable and quicker than ever before.Therefore, it’s time to put the Gotthard in the touristic spotlight.
There are lots of things to discover: on foot, by bicycle, with the car or on a horse-drawn carriage. Between activities, cultural and culinary highlights beckon. This is how a famous transit artery quickly becomes a holiday destination! The Gotthard Tunnel is a symbol of Swiss identity and development. It’s the meeting point of Switzerland’s different languages and cultures, as well as one of the main lines of communication between north and south Europe.
The centre of the Alps. A symbol of a nation’s desire for independence and unity. A reminder of its courage and capacity for innovation. For the Swiss, no other place is as symbolically significant as the Gotthard massif. (It is worth noting that the Gotthard is a massif, not a mountain; there is no single mountain that bears that name.)
Soon the Gotthard will be crossable in a matter of minutes. The longest and deepest tunnel in the world brings you to travel 20 minutes int rain over 57 km under 2,300 metres of rock, 20 minutes under a terrain of story and myth that has shaped the Swiss identity. But who will still notice it, travelling at high speed deep in the heart of the Alps?
The first Gotthard tunnel was inaugurated in 1882: a magnificent, brand-new double-track tunnel, 15 km long, linking Göschenen in the north, in the canton of Uri, to Airolo in the south, in the canton of Ticino. In 1883, its first full year of operation, some 250,000 passengers and 300,000 tonnes of goods passed through the new tunnel. A few years later, in 1909, the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) took over the running of this legendary railway line, which by then had become indispensable.
Since that time, much water has passed under the bridge. It took construction works on an enormous scale and 17 years of hard labour to complete this masterpiece of civil engineering. The new Gotthard base tunnel is the longest railway tunnel in the world, and is the epitome of Swiss precision, innovation and reliability. It stretches over 57 km, some 2,300 metres under rock. In just 20 minutes it gets you from Erstfeld, north of the Alps, to Bodio on the south side. By reducing the travel time in this way, Switzerland is helping to bring the cities, regions and countries of northern and southern Europe closer together.