What an amazing achievement! And the celebratory festivities are hilarious - can you imagine if, say after the Boston Big Dig (or similar multi-billion project construction) in the US, there were such celebrations (complete with blessings)? The financial and political commitment to new infrastructure would be cause enough to go nuts - it seems so rare these days that something (at all) visionary sees the light of day.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2016/jun/01/worlds-longest-rail-tunnel-opens-theatrical-parade-video
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/31/worlds-longest-tunnel-to-open-in-switzerland
Posted by
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
8293 posts
I saw a good exhibit at the Science Park at la Villette once on how those clever Swiss burrow their tunnels. It may be a permanent exhibit, and if so it is worth seeing.
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
The most amazing part about it for me? The final bill came in under budget! When was the last major infrastructure project you heard that about?
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19092 posts
I saw a good exhibit at the Science Park at la Villette once on how
those clever Swiss burrow their tunnels.
The four boring machines used in the tunnel construction were built by a German firm, Herrenknecht, AG, from Schwanau, near Offenburg, Germany. Some of my relatives have worked there in the past (maybe still do).
The next tunneling project is going to be one from near Innsbruck, Austria, to Fortezza, Italy, which will bypass Brenner Pass, and it will be slightly longer than the Gotthard Base Tunnel.
Posted by
OP
Washington DC Region, USA
7049 posts
Sorry - different country - but has anyone driven in one of the road tunnels in Norway? I believe they have pullouts and other amenities and some interesting lighting. This is an example, I'm sure there are several but this is supposedly the longest.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%A6rdal_Tunnel
Posted by
Green Bay
20031 posts
Passenger service will begin with the December schedule change. Should shave about an hour off the Zurich-Milan train travel time. Isn't there another tunnel further down the line in Italy that will knock off even more still to be completed?
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32200 posts
Agnes,
I saw a report on the news today (might have been BBC). What an impressive achievement!
Posted by
53 posts
Quite the achievement but that opening ceremony was the dumbest thing I've ever seen.
Posted by
OP
Washington DC Region, USA
7049 posts
I think the ceremony is a bit like the Olympic Opening Ceremonies - zany and culturally-specific.
Posted by
Columbia, SC
989 posts
Under budget AND on schedule!!! Think that could ever happen here?!
Posted by
OP
Washington DC Region, USA
7049 posts
Under budget AND on schedule!!! Think that could ever happen here?!
No, the World Trade Center subway stop is a good example of the fragmentation and politicization of everything that's built on a grand scale (although I agree, that stop was crazy expensive but there is plenty of blame to go around). The Swiss clearly had public and political support and committed funding - their trains, watches, etc. are so precise, I'm not surprised they pulled this off.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/03/nyregion/the-4-billion-train-station-at-the-world-trade-center.html
Posted by
Bern, Switzerland
977 posts
And we have already approved our next tunnel project! It seems we just have to have a tunnelling project underway at all times ;-)
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
32711 posts
you have to keep the tunnelling dwarves busy or they start to accumulate gold and go off the rails.
Posted by
Tilburg, Netherlands
2829 posts
Rick Steves will need to update his guide, travelling on the Gotthard line will no longer be a "naturally scenic option between Italy, Swiss and Germany".