Gotthard railway celebrates 125 years
Swiss President Micheline Calmy-Rey has marked the 125th anniversary of the Gotthard railway line, saying its inauguration “opened Switzerland to Europe”.
She was speaking in the southern town of Bellinzona in the presence of 200 guests from Switzerland and abroad at the beginning of four days of official celebrations.
“The opening of the Gotthard tunnel not only showed the world the know-how of Swiss engineers, but also permanently shaped the history and identity of Switzerland,” she said.
Local politicians north and south of the tunnel in cantons Uri and Ticino emphasised the importance of the 15 km-long tunnel, calling for it to be preserved after the opening of the new Gotthard base tunnel, foreseen in 2018.
The chief executive of the Swiss Federal Railways, Andreas Meyer, also cast an eye into the future, praising the idea of Ticino’s tourism president, Marco Solari, to hold the next Swiss national exhibition in the Gotthard region in 2020.
“We support this idea which very much makes us happy at the Swiss Federal Railways, even though its form still has to be discussed,” he said.
Not so optimistic
Historian and journalist Orazio Martinetti told swissinfo that he was not so optimistic about the preservation of the line.
“Maintenance of this line costs the Swiss Federal Railways about SFr50 million ($41.6 million) a year. Why should such a sum be invested in the future after the completion of the Gotthard base tunnel?
“In other words, the risk of seeing this line fall into disuse is a real one. You could hope to save it as a tourist attraction, as cantons Uri and Ticino would like. They want to see it as a Unesco cultural heritage site but I strongly doubt that it will become one.”
Martinetti said that on the technical level the Gotthard railway line remained a masterpiece of civil and rail engineering and the plans that were drawn at the time were stunning with their precision.
“In terms of history, the work reminds you of the savagery of the Wild West because of the tensions which broke out into violence several times during construction, like a workers’ uprising.”
More than 2,500 men were working at times on the tunnel. The conditions were so bad that they eventually downed tools in 1875. Several deaths were reported when police and a vigilante group of volunteers used force to end the strike.
Those attending the official celebrations on Thursday spared a thought for the 170 men who lost their lives constructing the tunnel, although modern research puts the figure at closer to 200.
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New Rail Links through the Alps
Much to offer
Today, railway buffs and travellers in general discover that the main transalpine artery from north to south still has much to offer – bridges galore, steep climbs and descents with spirals, and a tunnel that has made a name for itself around the world.
The Gotthard line offers views that few other routes can rival. “The fantastic scenery makes it one of the most exciting journeys for any passenger,” London-based travel writer Anthony Lambert told swissinfo.
He is in two minds about the new 57-km long Gotthard base rail tunnel being built between Erstfeld and Bodio.
“My only slight reservation is that tourists come to Switzerland because you have the finest landscapes in Europe and they will miss many of the wonderful views of the Gotthard if they’re in a tunnel all the time,” he commented.
Historian Martinetti hopes that the old Gotthard line now being celebrated will still have recognition in the future.
“I think that history lessons in Switzerland should always have a place for the Gotthard railway,” he said.
swissinfo with agencies
1830: Opening of the road, called the Tremola, on the southern flank of the Gotthard summit. This allowed the first postal coaches to travel between north and south Europe.
1882: The Gotthard rail tunnel opened, connecting cantons Uri (north) and Ticino (south).
1919-24: The line was equipped for electric working.
1926: The postal coach replaced stagecoaches.
1980: The Gotthard road tunnel was officially opened.
An interactive presentation
On September 8 and 9, celebrations will be taking place to mark the 125th anniversary of the Gotthard railway, mainly in Erstfeld north of the Gotthard tunnel and Biasca to the south.
There are a host of attractions, including an interactive exhibition, a presentation of the new Cisalpino tilting trains, presentations on one of the loco simulators used for driver instruction and an open day at the AlpTransit construction site of the new Gotthard base tunnel.
To get the party going, Swiss rock band Gotthard will be giving a concert in Biasca this Friday.
With a length of 57 km, the new rail tunnel, part of the New Rail Links through the Alps project, will be the longest of its kind in the world.
On September 1, 2007, of the total of 153.5 km of tunnels, galleries and passages of the Gotthard Base Tunnel, 104.7 km or 68.2% had been excavated.
The Lötschberg base tunnel, which runs 34.6 km, was inaugurated on June 16. Total costs are around SFr4.3 billion.
When the two projects were started, the total cost of the two new lines was put at SFr14.7 billion. It’s now estimated that it could exceed SFr24 billion.
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