The Gotthard Base Tunnel Dr. Renzo Simoni Chief Executive Officer AlpTransit Gotthard Ltd.

NRLA decision 1991 Pronouncement of October 4, 1991 The NRLA concept endeavours to develop Switzerland into a hub for European high-speed passenger traffic. Its implementation must take account of the constant progress in railway technology. Especially in goods traffic, optimal integration into the European railway corridor for unaccompanied combined transport must be achieved. The NRLA concept comprises expansion of the Gotthard and Lötschberg-Simplon transit axes into an overall system as well as improved connections between eastern Switzerland and the Gotthard transit axis. On September 27, 1992, a 64% majority acceptance of the proposals for the New Rail Link through the Alps (NRLA) formed both the planning basis and the political authorisation for the projects under the Gotthard and Lötschberg. In 1996, the government redimensioned the NRLA: the Lötschberg was implemented partly as single-track only, the Hirzel Tunnel was cancelled.

A flat railway route through the Alps Flat route through the Alps AlpTransit Gotthard Ltd is constructing the only flat route through the Alps. The highest point is 550 metres above sea level, no higher than Switzerland's capital city, Berne. (For comparison: The highest point of the 15-kilometres-long Gotthard railway tunnel dating from 1882 is 1150 metres above sea level.) The maximum gradient of the flat route is 12.5 ‰. (For comparison: This is approximately the same gradient as the railway crossing of the Jura mountains through the Hauenstein tunnel (Basel-Olten) or the Bözberg tunnel (Basel-Brugg)). To compensate for the greater air resistance in the tunnel, the maximum gradient in the tunnel is reduced to 6 ‰. Thanks to the flat route, trains can cross the Alps at high speed and with heavy loads. Future transalpine passenger trains will travel on the newly constructed line at 200 km/h. Goods trains will travel at 100 km/h. The flat route allows goods trains to be substantially longer and heavier (4,000 tonnes instead of today's 2,000 tonnes). Transporting the same quantity of goods will require fewer locomotives and people, as well as less energy.

Allocation of Public Transport Financial Fund (FinöV) NRLA (45%) New Rail Link through the Alps Heavy road vehicle tax (64%) Rail 2000 Phase 1 and ZEB (44%) ZEB: Future Development of the Railway Infrastructure Oil tax (23%) Fund for the financing of public transport HSR (4%) European High-Speed Rail Network Public transport fund (FinöV) In 1998 the Swiss people voted in favour of the "Proposal for construction and financing of the public transport infrastructure (FinöV)". The FinöV fund that was approved is financed with revenues from the distance-related heavy road-vehicle tax (64%), the tax on petroleum products (13%), and value added tax (23%). It assures the reliable financing of four major railway projects: the NRLA through the Gotthard and Lötschberg, Rail 2000 and ZEB, connections from east and west Switzerland to the European high-speed network HGV, as well as noise mitigation measures along the existing railway lines. Value added tax (VAT) (13%) Noise mitigation (7%)

Challenge – implementation organisation Direct management, simple control Transparency through direct parliamentary control Clear allocation of responsibilities, best governance Efficiency thanks to lean organisation (short paths, simple decision processes) Highly diverse partners AlpTransit Gotthard Ltd, with around 170 employees, is responsible for the project management of this project. It exercises direct control over the contract partners as well as over the execution of the project. For the Federal Administration, as representative of the ordering body, it is easy to control such a lean organisation. Thanks to short decision paths, the lean and efficient project organisation also enables rapid decisions. A further benefit is the increased transparency in the project through parliamentary control. For this purpose the Federal Government has created a special committee. The NRLA Supervisory Delegation, which is composed of six representatives each from both houses of parliament, is an ad hoc committee. Its task is to critically control and supervise the AlpTransit Gotthard as the project of the century.