Lötschberg base tunnel
Lötschberg Base Tunnel
The Lötschberg Base Tunnel together with the century-old Simplon Rail Tunnel form the western part of the Alptransit project
(yellow: major tunnels, red: existing main tracks, numbers: year of completion) |
| Overview |
| Official name |
German: Lötschberg Basis Tunnel
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| Line |
Lötschberg Line |
| Location |
Traversing the Bernese Alps in Switzerland
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| Coordinates |
46°34′41″N 7°38′56″E / 46.578°N 7.649°E / 46.578; 7.649 (Lötschberg Base Tunnel, northern portal) – 46°18′32″N 7°49′55″E / 46.309°N 7.832°E / 46.309; 7.832 (Lötschberg Base Tunnel, southern portal)
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| System |
BLS, SBB CFF FFS
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| Start |
Frutigen, canton of Bern, 780 m (2,560 ft) |
| End |
Raron, canton of Valais, 654 m (2,146 ft) |
| Operation |
| Work begun |
5 July 1999 |
| Opened |
14 June 2007 |
| Owner |
BLS NETZ AG |
| Operator |
BLS |
| Traffic |
Railway |
| Character |
Passenger, Freight |
| Technical |
| Length |
34.5766 km (21.4849 mi) |
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No. of tracks
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One single-track tube for 20km, two single-track tubes for 14km |
| Track gauge |
1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) (standard gauge) |
| Electrified |
15 kV 16.7 Hz |
| Operating speed |
up to 250 km/h (160 mph) |
| Highest elevation |
828 m (2,717 ft) |
| Lowest elevation |
654 m (2,146 ft) (south portal) |
| Grade |
3–13 ‰ |
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To Bern, Switzerland
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8.3 |
Reichenbach im Kandertal(706 MSL)
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10.4 |
Wengi-Ey junction |
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11.3 |
Wengi |
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13.5 |
Frutigen(779 MSL)
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Engstlige (~2.600 m) |
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Widi (~220 m) |
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To Brig by old route
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Tellenfeld control office |
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North portal of base tunnel (34,577 m) |
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Mitholz(western tube partly constructed)
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Ferden Nord(both tubes in
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operation south of Ferden Nord) |
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Steg junction(unfinished)
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