Eurovision News Events

OPENING OF THE GOTTHARD TUNNEL
POLLEGIO (TICINO, SWITZERLAND) ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE GOTTHARD TUNNEL
01-06 JUNE 2016

1st of June 2016: Opening of the Gotthard Base Tunnel

On 1st of June 2016, 17 years after the first blast in the main shaft, the world’s longest railway tunnel will officially open. To celebrate the occasion, Switzerland will invite guests of honor from Switzerland and abroad to the opening event and welcome the population for a public festival.

The Gotthard Base Tunnel consists of two 57-kilometres-long single-track tubes. Including all cross-passages, access tunnels and shafts, the total length of the tunnel system is over 152 km. It links the north portal at Erstfeld with the south portal at Bodio. With a rock overburden of up to 2 300 metres, the Gotthard Base Tunnel is not only the world's longest, but also the world's deepest, railway tunnel constructed to date.

The Gotthard Base Tunnel and the Ceneri Base Tunnel (scheduled to be opened and become operational in 2020) are at the heart of the construction of the New Rail Link through the Alps (NRLA) which is creating a fast and efficient railway link. This railway link crosses the Alps with minimal gradients and wide curves. The flat route allows efficient rail transport of freight as well as shortening journey times in national and international passenger traffic: the new routes cut passenger journey times substantially. The new Gotthard route is a high-speed rail link: passenger trains can traverse its almost 60 kilometres length at maximum speeds of up to 250 kilometres per hour.

In the future, some 260 freight trains and 65 passenger trains should traverse the Gotthard Tunnel each day. The reduction in travel time will gradually take effect starting in 2016. After completion of the work along the entire Gotthard axis (including the Ceneri Base Tunnel and access routes), travellers between Zurich and Lugano will save around 45 minutes.

More information on: www.gottardo2016.ch/en

EUROVISION Special Events, in collaboration with SRG SSR, will offer the following facilities onsite:

• HD/SD Standup position for Live programme inserts in Pollegio (south side of Tunnel)
• HD/SD Playout (XDCAM) through SDI connectivity in Pollegio (south side of Tunnel)
• HD/SD Playout - SDI client player in Rynach (TV compound - north side of Tunnel)
• HD/SD Connectivity to the Eurovision Global Network

For bookings and information, please contact Eurovision Special Events
tel +41 22 717 2840
newsoperations@eurovision.net
Twitter: @EVspecialevents