The 60-tonne drilling equipment Sandvik developed for the Sedrun project was like a Swiss army knife that could basically handle all drilling needs using either a rock drill or a rotary head

On 1st June, Switzerland announced the opening of world’s longest, deepest rail tunnel.  The 57-km tunnel, which runs beneath the Swiss Alps from Erstfeld to Bodio, will provide a high-speed rail link under the Swiss Alps between northern and southern Europe.

The long-awaited Gotthard Base Tunnel will shave 45 minutes off the journey time between Zurich and Lugano.

Construction on the project included the excavation of two 57-km tunnels as well as the creation of a series of cross-passages, access tunnels and shafts. It took 23 years to complete but, measuring 57 kilometers from portal to portal, it is also the world’s longest and deepest traffic tunnel ever built.

The Sedrun section was the most demanding part to construct due to a combination of a two-kilometer-deep rock layer and very poor rock stability. Sandvik drills, loaders and breakers were selected to overcome the challenges.

The construction site could only be accessed through a horizontal access tunnel and two vertical 800-meter-deep blind shafts. All equipment, material, machines and workers were transported through these two shafts.

The 60-tonne drilling equipment Sandvik developed for the Sedrun project was like a Swiss army knife that could basically handle all drilling needs using either a rock drill or a rotary head.