Gotthard Base Tunnel
A 57 km flat, low-level railway tunnel under the Alps, built as two single-track tubes.
Project at a glance
| Location | Erstfeld to Bodio, Switzerland |
|---|---|
| Owner / agency | AlpTransit Gotthard AG (for the Swiss Confederation); operated by SBB |
| Completed / opened | 2016 |
| Sector | Tunnels |
| Length | 57 km |
| Tubes | Two single-track tubes linked by cross-passages every 325 m |
| Whole tunnel system | 152 km of tunnels |
| Excavated material | 28.2 million tonnes |
Construction technology used
- About 80 % of the main tubes were bored by tunnel boring machines and about 20 % excavated by drill and blast.
- Two single-track tubes linked by cross-passages every 325 m.
Key facts
- Regular train service began on 11 December 2016.
Learn the engineering behind it
- Tunnel boring machines · Tunnel Engineering
- Ways to build a tunnel · Tunnel Engineering
- In-situ stress · Rock Mechanics
- Ventilation and fire safety · Tunnel Engineering
Watch on YouTube
Sources
Facts on this page are taken only from official or authoritative sources (owner agencies, government releases, designers and contractors) and written in our own words. A figure is shown only when we could confirm it from at least two of the sources below; anything we could not confirm is left out. Spotted an error? Tell us.
Author: Indiacon. Last reviewed 24 Oct 2026. Educational summary; not an official project document.