Lötschberg Base Tunnel
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This article or section contains information about a planned or expected future tunnel. It may contain information of a speculative nature and the content may change dramatically as the construction and/or completion of the tunnel approaches, and more information becomes available. |
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(yellow: major tunnels, red: existing main tracks, numbers: year of completion)
The Lötschberg Base Tunnel (LBT) is a 34.6 km (21 mile) long tunnel cutting through the Alps of Switzerland some 400 m below the level of the current Lötschberg Tunnel. The tunnel runs between Frutigen, Berne and Raron, Valais. Breakthrough was made in April 2005, and completion ended in 2006. Standard operation is expected by the end of 2007. It will be the longest land tunnel in the world and will accommodate both passenger and freight trains. The opening ceremony of the tunnel has been announced for Saturday June 16 2007.
Built to ease truck traffic on Swiss roads, this tunnel will allow an increased number of trucks and trailers to be loaded onto trains in Germany, pass through Switzerland on rail, and be unloaded in Italy. It also cuts down travel time for German tourists headed to Swiss ski resorts and puts the Valais into commuting distance to Berne due to a travel time reduction by 50%. The total cost (including an $840 million cost overrun) has come to 3.5 billion dollars. Along with the Gotthard Base Tunnel, this is part of the Swiss AlpTransit initiative.
Track construction inside the Lötschberg base tunnel was completed on July 24 2006. Extensive testing is taking place including more than one thousand test runs and testing for the use of the ETCS Level 2 system. It is expected that some regular freight and passenger trains will make use of the tunnel as early as spring 2007.
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[edit] Operation
It is planned to run 110 trains a day through the new base tunnel, and 66 through the old mountain tunnel. Of the 110 trains which will pass the base tunnel, 30 will be passenger trains and 80 will be freight trains including intermodal freight transport as well as heavy freight trains with a maximum weight of 4000 tons and a maximum length of 1500 meters which are unable to pass the existing mountain track.
[edit] Travel speeds
- Regular freight trains: 100 km/h (~60 mph)
- Qualified freight trains: 160 km/h (~100 mph)
- Passenger trains: 200 km/h (~120 mph)
- Tilting passenger trains: 250 km/h (~150 mph)
