11.09.2020

Inauguration of Ceneri Base Tunnel

Today the last missing link on the NRLA (New Railway Link through the Alps) will be completed with the inauguration of the Ceneri Base Tunnel and handover to Swiss Federal Railway (SBB).

We are proud to announce that Sonneville togehter with the European LVT licensee Vigier Rail supplied more than 90'000 LVT Standard and 5'000 LVT HA supports for Ceneri Base tunnel tracks for the more than 30 km of slab track installed in the Ceneri Base Tunnel.

Due to a very high track installation accuracy, train operation up to a speed of 250 km/h is possible allowing a faster connection between northern and southern Europe.

Once the Ceneri Base tunne is in service in December 2020 the entire North-South Corridor of SBB, which also includes the Gotthard Base Tunnel and other shorter tunnels, will have more than 150 km of LVT tracks in operation on this European railway backbone.

The NRLA was planned and built in order to shift freight traffic on the rail and reducing transit truck services through the Alps. Therefore, 90% of the available track capacity will be used for freight traffic, relieving Swiss highways and significantly reducing the Carbon footprint.

In this regard the LVT technology contributes a durable and sustainable track solution for the future of the European railway service.