Rail conquers the Alps
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GOTTHARD BASE TUNNEL | SWITZERLAND<br />
handling are essential to ensure that<br />
<strong>the</strong> right components are in precisely<br />
<strong>the</strong> right place at <strong>the</strong> right time. Many<br />
items of equipment are mass-produced<br />
and have to be ordered in good<br />
time and <strong>the</strong>n supplied and delivered,<br />
all <strong>the</strong> time meeting <strong>the</strong> required quality<br />
standards. Components are stored<br />
temporarily at <strong>the</strong> work bases and<br />
sorted according to <strong>the</strong> requirements<br />
for each shift or day before <strong>the</strong>y are<br />
taken into <strong>the</strong> tunnel.<br />
Commissioning<br />
The commissioning process will<br />
be carried out in several stages. Once<br />
installation is complete, every single<br />
component will be tested to ensure<br />
that it functions correctly. The first<br />
section to be completed will be <strong>the</strong><br />
west bore between Faido and Bodio,<br />
which has been designated as <strong>the</strong> initial<br />
test section. More than 15 km long,<br />
it will be used from 2013 for tests at up<br />
to 200 km/h, allowing <strong>the</strong> complex interworking<br />
of all items of equipment<br />
to be thoroughly tested. Any lessons<br />
learnt from this test phase will be applied<br />
to <strong>the</strong> remaining sections of <strong>the</strong><br />
tunnel.<br />
Only when <strong>the</strong>se tests have been<br />
completed can <strong>the</strong> actual commissioning<br />
start. This will be organised in<br />
two phases.<br />
In Phase A AlpTransit Gotthard<br />
The Biasca<br />
work base near<br />
<strong>the</strong> sou<strong>the</strong>rn<br />
portal was<br />
used to prepare<br />
equipment and<br />
machinery to<br />
lay <strong>the</strong> first<br />
ballastless track<br />
on <strong>the</strong> Faido –<br />
Bodio section.<br />
AG as <strong>the</strong> tunnel contractor has to<br />
prove that <strong>the</strong> installations function<br />
correctly and that <strong>the</strong> safety requirements<br />
have been met. Test running is<br />
scheduled to take place over a period<br />
of several months to ensure that every<br />
component works faultlessly.<br />
In Phase B <strong>the</strong> main responsibility<br />
switches to <strong>the</strong> future operator, SBB<br />
AG. Only when SBB has demonstrated<br />
that all is working flawlessly — with<br />
staff in place and test freight and passenger<br />
trains operating — will <strong>the</strong> Federal<br />
Transport Office grant permission<br />
for <strong>the</strong> start of commercial services.<br />
SBB will also need to prove that it can<br />
cope with any kind of incident happening<br />
within <strong>the</strong> tunnel. l<br />
<strong>Rail</strong>way Gazette International | July 2011 43
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