The passenger only feels as good as the infrastructure of his means of transport. The varied topography and extreme climatic conditions of Switzerland challenge engineers and builders.

Swiss rail tracks, bridges and tunnels are legendary and heavily trafficked: the UNESCO World Heritage sites Albula and Bernina railways in the Grisons, the Gotthard Railway with its loop tunnels in the central Alps and the new Lötschberg base tunnel (34.6 km) constructed for speeds of 250 km/h are just three examples. 

The longest railway tunnel in the world between Erstfeld in the north and Biasca in the south is being built under the Gotthard massif: 57 kilometres long and with an overburden of up to 2,300 metres. Currently it is being technically equipped for the railway with lines, contact wire, ventilation, safety installations and emergency stop stations. 

This is where Swiss know-how from over a century of experience is called into action. The Gotthard base tunnel opens in 2016/2017 and will significantly change the transport landscape between Northern and Southern Europe.