ABB lands Gotthard Base Tunnel contract
Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-ChiefBaden, Switzerland-based ABB said Thursday it has won an order worth about $21 million from AlpTransit Gotthard AG (ATG) to provide a ventilation system for the Gotthard Base Tunnel in Switzerland, which will carry trains beneath the Alps. The tunnel is the world’s largest railway tunnel project, with a route length of 57 kilometers (35 miles).
AlpTransit Gotthard is wholly owned subsidiary of Swiss Federal Railways, with headquarters in Lucerne.
ABB is part of a consortium, also including Germany’s TLTTurbo GmbH, working on the tunnel project , responsible for developing,producing, and installing what will be the largest tunnel ventilation systemever built, providing fresh air for the entire The project’s total network oftunnels, shafts and passages equals 152 kilometers, or 94 miles.
The project is scheduled for completion in 2017. Once open, the tunnel willhandle an estimated 200 to 250 trains per day.
