Zimmerberg Base Tunnel
The Zimmerberg Base Tunnel is a railway tunnel in the south of Zurich in Switzerland. The overall project, which provides the breakthrough of the two ridges Zimmerberg and Albis in the final stage was divided into two stages, of which the first was already realized in the framework of Rail 2000 between 1997 and 2002. The second stage is part of Alp Transit Gotthard and supplemented by the project New Rail Link through the Alps (NEAT ) the Gotthard Base Tunnel in the north by an improved connection to the node Zurich.
General Information
The 20- km long Zimmerberg Base Tunnel consists of the northern Zimmerberg Base Tunnel ( Stage 1 or ZBT I) from Zurich to Thalwil with a length of 9.4 km, which was completed as part of the railway in 2000, and the southern for later planned Zimmerberg Base tunnel ( stage 2 or ZBT II) from Thalwil to Litti north of train. An underground branch, which connects the two tunnel has already been created in the space Nidelbad.
The standing in the operating section Zurich - Thalwil - actually a cross tunnel - is often just called Zimmerberg tunnel, although the single-track tunnel opened in 1897 between Horgen Oberdorf and Sihlbrugg bears the same name. The travel time of the train running between Zurich main station and Thalwil distance trains shortened by the new tunnel around two to three minutes, and thanks to the achieved capacity gain on the ancestral line, the S -Bahn line 2 was reinforced on every half hour and the new line S24 ( Zurich Hauptbahnhof- Horgen Oberndorf ) are introduced.
ZBT II
The planned 2006 construction of the ZBT II was postponed for financial reasons, when the Federal Council for the period 2007/2008 a fundamental review of all not yet drawn attack Neat projects ordered ( template ' Future development of rail projects ' ZEB ).
Representatives of the neighboring cantons of Zurich and train clung forcefully to a realization of the ZBT II and argue that this was essential for a functioning clock schedule with a System From Zurich to Milan by three hours and optimal connections; also can with the present line, the principle of a continuous flat route ( for freight to / from Schaffhausen -Stuttgart ) can not be implemented without compromising quality. The other side points to the present ZEB draft timetable in accordance with which the required connections in Zurich and Milan could also be ensured without ZBT II (but taking disclose any of the two holding in Chiasso and Como).
Together with the underground station Lucerne, the journey time would Lucerne - Zurich today 45 shorten to 35 minutes.
Construction of the ZBT I
Most of the tunnel was made in mining excavation by tunnel boring machines. The excavation was led away in Zurich Brunaupark by train. The building is designed for 160 km / h and includes two lane change places. Was particularly critical of the propulsion in Zurich Wiedikon because the tunnel a few meters also performs under the foundations of buildings and ground water leading loose rock.
Events
- On 11 April 2006 an ETR 470 tilting train the Cisalpino came in the tunnel by a defect on the traction equipment, which led to a smoldering, unexpectedly to a halt. The incident was mild, and the passengers were able to bring about the tunnel escape hatches Lätten and Kilchberg to safety.