Down in the depths

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Ventilation tubes at the contruction site in Sedrun, 800 metres deep inside the Gotthard massif. swissinfo.ch

Two single-track tunnel tubes are being bored to the north and to the south using conventional blasting methods. Tunnel boring machines cannot be used in the Sedrun section because of the geological conditions. swissinfo.ch

Saint Barbara is the patron saint of miners. Her memorial day is December 4. swissinfo.ch

The tunnel walls are secured with steel arches. swissinfo.ch

About 500 people work at the Sedrun site. Only ten per cent of them are Swiss. Of the 400 miners, 40 per cent are from Italy and Germany, and ten per cent from Austria and elsewhere. swissinfo.ch

Strengthening the tunnel walls with cement prevents rock from falling. swissinfo.ch

In Sedrun there is a multi-functional area for emergency stops, switching tracks and other rail-technology installations. swissinfo.ch

Far away from their families, miners work in a three-shift system around the clock at a temperature of about 28 degrees centigrade. An ingenious ventilation system guarantees the best possible working conditions. swissinfo.ch

It's the end of work for the day shift. swissinfo.ch

An 800m-long lift transports the workers from the construction site inside the mountain up to the surface. swissinfo.ch

Changing from the lift into a little train, which the workers have affectionately christened "TGV Tujetsch". swissinfo.ch

The trip through the one-km-long access tunnel brings the workers up to daylight near Sedrun. swissinfo.ch

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Working on the 57km-long Gotthard Base Tunnel.

The construction is at the heart of the new transalpine rail route – New Rail Link through the Alps. From 2017, 250 trains will travel through the Alps daily at speeds of up to 250 kilometres per hour. Passengers will be able to travel between Zurich and Milan in 2 hours and 40 minutes. (Christoph Balsiger, swissinfo.ch, in 2005)