Louis Favre

Louis Favre ( born January 28, 1826 in Chêne -Bourg, † July 19, 1879 in Göschenen ) was a Swiss engineer. He was responsible for the construction of the Gotthard tunnel.

Life and work

Louis Favre has transformed from artisans to entrepreneurs and was successful as a tunnel builders. His company won six competitors and was awarded the contract for the tunneling through the Gotthard massif for the then longest railway tunnel in the world, despite late tender. He secured the agreement of 7 August 1872, a construction period of eight years instead of nine, the closest bidder and at an offer price of CHF 56 million, around 12 ½ million francs cheaper deal. Should the construction period be shorter, a premium it was promised 5,000 francs per day, should delay the construction period, Favre would have a penalty of CHF also pay 5000. For more than six months of completion delay, the delay penalty should be increased to 10,000 francs per day.

The construction was from 1871 to 1880 held the breakdown on 29 Feb. 1880. Besides considerable technical and geological problems Louis Favre had several times to deal with disputes with the financing bank and the Building Directorate of the Gotthard Railway Company, some of which were held in court. In addition, it came in 1875 to a beaten down strike of the Italian tunnel workers.

The promised eight-year construction period was delayed by ten months, meaning the family Favre was financially ruined. Favre himself was already a few months earlier died in a patrol in the tunnel on a tear in the abdominal aorta. Planning and execution of the works are for that time as a technical masterpiece and are mainly due to Favre.