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Huge tunnel network creates new railway link through the Alps

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    Huge tunnel network creates new railway link through the Alps

    "(CNN) — Thousands of feet under the Swiss Alps, a new high-speed, high-capacity railway is close to completion.

    At its heart is the world's longest railway tunnel -- the 35-mile-long (or 57-kilometer) Gotthard Base Tunnel.

    Everything about this $11.3 billion project is on a grand scale; at their deepest point, the GBT's twin tunnels are around 8,000 feet below the Alpine peaks. More than 2,500 people worked on its construction, carving and blasting their way through almost 30 million tonnes of granite before laying almost 250 miles of steel rails and installing thousands of miles of cables for power, signaling and communications systems.

    With cross passages between the main tunnels every 1,066 feet, access tunnels and shafts the total length of the tunnel system is more than 95 miles.
    Excavation of the two 35-mile running tunnels was completed in 2011 and employed a combination of traditional drilling/blasting and massive tunnel boring machines with 32-foot diameter cutting faces and miles of conveyor belts to carry rock away for recycling."

    Huge tunnel network creates new railway link through the Alps | CNN Travel

    35 miles of tunneling in the mountain (!) for only 11 bln dollars!

    #2
    is it mined, like all the others??

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      #3
      It probably isn't mined. But it might be. Lucerne yields up explosive secrets - SWI swissinfo.ch

      The cost of tunnelling has dropped considerably over the years. Even a tunnel linking mainland Britain and Ireland might be economically feasible in a few years. The idea of the Swiss tunnel is to get trucks that usually drive through Switzerland, off the road.
      Down with racism. Long live miscegenation!

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        #4
        How much would it be to tunnel from Euston to Manchester, via Birmingham?

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          #5
          Originally posted by GJABS View Post
          How much would it be to tunnel from Euston to Manchester, via Birmingham?
          Slightly less than overland.

          Comment


            #6
            Twas featured on Richard Hammonds Big

            preview here

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by GJABS View Post
              How much would it be to tunnel from Euston to Manchester, via Birmingham?
              That mostly depends on how many rich constituents of Tory MPs will potentially have their wine cellar views obstructed by the tunnel and wine affected by the train vibrations.

              HTH

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                #8
                Originally posted by GJABS View Post
                How much would it be to tunnel from Euston to Manchester, via Birmingham?
                Dunno but it's a lot further than 35 miles so should cost more.

                Add in the fact that tunnelling from London to Manchester would take you through many different rock types (probably) then it would make no sense....

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                  #9
                  The current E-W line proposal has an 11 mile tunnel under the Penines

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