Maria grips the train window as her ears pop for the third time in ten minutes. She’s traveling from Zurich to Milan for a business meeting, but something feels different about this journey. The mountain peaks that should be towering outside her window have vanished, replaced by the steady rhythm of tunnel lights flashing past in the darkness.
Her phone shows they’re moving at 200 kilometers per hour, yet she can barely feel the motion. Twenty minutes pass. Thirty. Still underground. She realizes she’s not just crossing the Alps—she’s traveling through them, deep beneath tons of rock and ice, in what feels like a subway ride through the center of the Earth.
What Maria doesn’t know is that she’s experiencing one small piece of Europe’s most ambitious infrastructure project. For three decades, Switzerland has been quietly building a massive underground network that’s reshaping how people and goods move across one of the world’s most challenging mountain ranges.
The hidden engineering marvel beneath the Alps
The Swiss underground network represents one of the most remarkable feats of modern engineering, though most travelers experience it without realizing its full scope. Since the 1990s, Switzerland has invested over 50 billion Swiss francs in creating a web of tunnels, galleries, and underground passages that transform the Alps from a barrier into a highway.
“We didn’t just want to build tunnels,” explains Andreas Weber, a former Swiss Federal Railways engineer who worked on the Gotthard project. “We wanted to completely reimagine how mountains could connect people instead of dividing them.”
The centerpiece of this network is the Gotthard Base Tunnel, which opened in 2016 after 17 years of construction. At 57 kilometers long, it’s the world’s longest railway tunnel, stretching from Erstfeld to Bodio deep under the Swiss Alps. At its deepest point, travelers pass 2,300 meters below the mountain peaks—equivalent to being buried under two and a half Eiffel Towers stacked end to end.
But the Gotthard is just one piece of a much larger puzzle. The Swiss underground network includes multiple base tunnels, connecting passages, emergency routes, and maintenance facilities that together form what engineers call “the new railway through the Alps.”
Inside Switzerland’s tunnel revolution
The scale of Switzerland’s underground construction becomes clear when you examine the numbers. This isn’t just about digging a few holes through mountains—it’s about creating an entirely new transportation infrastructure beneath the surface.
| Tunnel Name | Length | Opening Year | Maximum Depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gotthard Base Tunnel | 57 km | 2016 | 2,300m below surface |
| Ceneri Base Tunnel | 15.4 km | 2020 | 462m below surface |
| Lötschberg Base Tunnel | 34.6 km | 2007 | 1,400m below surface |
| Zimmerberg Base Tunnel | 9.5 km | 2002 | 200m below surface |
The engineering challenges were staggering. Workers had to deal with:
- Rock temperatures reaching 46°C (115°F) in the deepest sections
- Massive water inflows requiring constant pumping
- Unstable rock formations that required specialized stabilization techniques
- Precise surveying to ensure tunnel sections met exactly in the middle
- Ventilation systems capable of handling emergency situations
“The geological conditions change every few meters,” notes Dr. Sarah Müller, a tunneling specialist who worked on multiple Swiss projects. “We essentially had to invent new construction techniques as we went deeper into uncharted rock formations.”
The construction process involved removing approximately 28 million tons of excavated rock from the Gotthard tunnel alone—enough to fill a freight train stretching from Zurich to Hamburg. Much of this rock was recycled into concrete for the tunnel lining, making the project remarkably sustainable for its scale.
How underground tunnels are transforming European travel
The real impact of Switzerland’s underground network extends far beyond impressive engineering statistics. This infrastructure is fundamentally changing how people and goods move across Europe, creating new economic opportunities and environmental benefits that ripple across multiple countries.
Before the base tunnels opened, crossing the Alps by rail was a slow, winding journey subject to weather delays and capacity limits. Freight trains struggled up steep mountain grades at 80 km/h, often getting stuck behind passenger services or delayed by snow and rockslides.
Today’s reality is dramatically different. The Swiss underground network enables:
- Freight trains traveling at up to 250 km/h through mountain terrain
- Passenger services reducing journey times by up to 40 minutes
- Capacity for 260 freight trains and 65 passenger trains daily through Gotthard alone
- Year-round reliability regardless of Alpine weather conditions
- Reduced truck traffic on mountain highways, cutting emissions and accidents
“The tunnels have made rail competitive with air travel for many European routes,” explains transport economist Dr. Klaus Zimmerman. “A business traveler can now get from Zurich to Milan faster by train than by plane when you factor in airport time.”
The environmental impact is equally significant. The Swiss estimate that their underground network removes approximately 1 million truck journeys from Alpine highways each year. This shift from road to rail reduces CO2 emissions by an estimated 920,000 tons annually—equivalent to taking 200,000 cars off European roads permanently.
For freight companies, the tunnels have opened new logistics possibilities. Containers that once traveled by ship around Spain can now move efficiently from Rotterdam to Italian ports by rail, cutting both time and costs. This has made Switzerland a crucial link in European supply chains, despite being a landlocked country.
The economic benefits extend to tourism as well. Travelers can now experience Swiss mountain scenery from comfortable trains moving at highway speeds, making previously difficult destinations more accessible. Hotel bookings in southern Switzerland have increased 25% since the Gotthard Base Tunnel opened, as visitors find it easier to explore regions that were once hours away from major cities.
“We’re seeing tourists who used to fly directly to Milan now stopping in Swiss mountain towns,” says tourism official Andrea Bianchi. “The tunnels have made our entire country feel smaller and more connected.”
Looking ahead, Switzerland’s underground network continues expanding. Plans include additional connecting tunnels, upgraded ventilation systems, and integration with high-speed rail networks in neighboring countries. The goal is creating a seamless underground highway system that makes the Alps as easy to cross as flat countryside.
FAQs
How long did it take to build Switzerland’s underground tunnel network?
The major tunnels took about 30 years to complete, with construction beginning in the 1990s and the last major tunnel opening in 2020.
Is it safe to travel through these deep underground tunnels?
Yes, the tunnels include extensive safety systems including escape routes, emergency stations, and advanced ventilation systems designed for worst-case scenarios.
How much did Switzerland spend on building this underground network?
The total investment exceeded 50 billion Swiss francs (approximately $55 billion USD) over three decades.
Can regular passengers use these tunnels or are they just for freight?
Both passenger and freight trains use the tunnels, with passenger services offering regular connections between major Swiss and European cities.
How do these tunnels affect the environment compared to highway traffic?
The tunnels significantly reduce environmental impact by shifting freight from trucks to trains, cutting CO2 emissions by approximately 920,000 tons annually.
Are there plans to build more underground tunnels in Switzerland?
Yes, Switzerland continues expanding its underground network with additional connecting tunnels and upgrades to integrate with European high-speed rail systems.
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