Albis Tunnel

In the context of the construction of the Gotthard railway and the Lake Zurich left-bank railway line by the Swiss Northeastern Railway (NOB) in the 1870s, there was a desire to connect the two lines with a branch running from Thalwil to Zug, which would later become the Thalwil–Arth-Goldau railway line.{{cite book |last1=Stuber |first1=Martin |title=Lebensadern: Zuger Eisenbahngeschichte(n) |date=2023 |publisher=Triner Media + Print |location=Schwyz |isbn=9783033102491 |chapter=Baar und Steinhausen: Lieber spät als nie |pages=65–96 |language=de-CH }} Originally the line was planned to only cross the Zimmerberg range through the Zimmerberg Tunnel and then follow the Sihl valley in the open to Walterswil near Baar, leading to Zug. However, due to the NOB railway crisis, construction of NOB lines were put on hold.{{cite web |last1=Fischer |first1=Bruno |title=Alfred Escher, Georg Stoll und die Rekonstruktion der Nordostbahn |url=https://www.briefedition.alfred-escher.ch/kontexte/uberblickskommentare/Rekonstruktion_Nordostbahn |website=www.briefedition.alfred-escher.c |publisher=Staatsarchiv des Kantons Zürich |access-date=9 January 2025 |language=de |archive-date=9 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250109225652/https://www.briefedition.alfred-escher.ch/kontexte/uberblickskommentare/Rekonstruktion_Nordostbahn |url-status=live }} Only in 1890, after the Federal Assembly had made the definite decision to construct a line Thalwil–Baar–Zug, the NOB returned to planning the connecting branch, and selected a tunnel through the Albis as the better option against the proposed open line through Walterswil.{{Cite report |title=Achtunddreissigster Geschäftsbericht der Direktion der Schweizerischen Nordostbahngesellschaft an die Generalversammlung der Aktionäre umfassend das Jahr 1890 |date=1890 |doi=10.5169/seals-730465 |pages=3–11 |volume=38 |language=de |last1=Escher |first1=E. }} Since both the Sihltal railway line and a proposed (but later failed) line coming from St. Gallen were planning to connect to Zug through the same tunnel, there were demands to build the Albis tunnel as double-track, which was opposed by the NOB and ultimately rejected by the Federal Council in favour of a certain and timely execution.{{Cite report |title=Vierzigster Geschäftsbericht der Direktion der Schweizerischen Nordostbahngesellschaft an die Generalversammlung der Aktionäre umfassend das Jahr 1892 |date=1893 |doi=10.5169/seals-730413 |pages=3–11 |volume=40 |language=de |last1=Escher |first1=E. }}

[[File:Durchschlagsfeier Albistunnel Einladungskarte.jpg|thumb|left|

Invitation card to the breakthrough ceremony of the Albis Tunnel on 15 May 1894]]

From December 1891 to February 1892, the NOB began the construction of the tunnel under piecework,{{cite journal |last1=Weber |first1=Robert |title=Médailles suisses : frappées en 1893 et 1894 |journal=Société Suisse de Numismatique |date=28 August 1894 |volume=4 |page=217 |url=https://www.e-periodica.ch/digbib/view?pid=snr-002%3A1894%3A4%3A%3A221&referrer=search#215 |access-date=6 January 2025 |language=de-CH,fr |archive-date=17 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250117122429/https://www.e-periodica.ch/digbib/view?pid=snr-002%3A1894%3A4%3A%3A221&referrer=search#215 |url-status=live }}{{cite journal |last1=Züblin |first1=Emil |title=Mitteilungen über den Bau der Linien Schaffhausen-Eglisau und Thalweil-Zug: Vortrag |journal=Schweizerische Bauzeitung |date=1898 |volume=32 |issue=3 |pages=22–24 |doi=10.5169/seals-20781 |language=de-CH }} and around the same time, published the second invitation to tender for an "Albis Tunnel of 3400 m of length" with a proposed tender of roughly 3.5 million Swiss Franc.{{cite journal |title=Bauausschreibung |url=https://www.e-periodica.ch/digbib/view?pid=sbz-002:1891:17::522#1916 |access-date=6 January 2025 |journal=Schweizerische Bauzeitung |volume=18 |issue=24 |date=1891 |publisher=A. Waldner |language=de-CH }} In early 1892, the contract was given to the company Franz Lusser & Cie., which resumed work on the tunnel in April of the same year. Engineer Franz Vital Lusser had founded this company and amassed enough money for the security deposit required by the contract, which he had failed to procure when the NOB published the first invitation to tender in 1891.{{cite book |last1=Stuber |first1=Martin |title=Lebensadern: Zuger Eisenbahngeschichte(n) |date=2023 |publisher=Triner Media + Print |location=Schwyz |isbn=9783033102491 |chapter=Zuger Spezialitäten – "Stadtbahn", Kollermühle, F. V. Lusser: Die Stadtbahn gab es schon 1902 |pages=161–192 |language=de-CH }} As an engineer, he had already been involved with the construction of the Gotthard Tunnel under Louis Favre.{{cite web |last1=Gisler-Jauch |first1=Rolf |title=Franz Vital Lusser |url=https://hls-dhs-dss.ch/de/articles/031934/2009-07-29/ |website=Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz |publisher=Schweizerische Akademie der Geistes- und Sozialwissenschaften |access-date=6 January 2025 |language=de-CH |archive-date=6 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250106180912/https://hls-dhs-dss.ch/de/articles/031934/2009-07-29/ |url-status=live }}{{cite journal |last1=R. |first1=M. |title=Lusser, Franz Vital |journal=Schweizerische Bauzeitung |date=1927 |volume=90 |issue=18 |pages=236–237 |url=https://www.e-periodica.ch/digbib/view?pid=sbz-002%3A1927%3A89%3A%3A3024#3061 |access-date=6 January 2025 |issn=0036-7524 |language=de-CH |archive-date=17 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250117123704/https://www.e-periodica.ch/digbib/view?pid=sbz-002%3A1927%3A89%3A%3A3024#3061 |url-status=live }}{{cite book |last1=Mathys |first1=Ernst |title=Männer der Schiene |date=1955 |publisher=Kümmerly & Frey |location=Bern |pages=72–74 |edition=2nd |oclc=312224581 |language=de-CH }} Under him, the construction of the tunnel, executed from both ends, was able to progress at an average rate of 3 metres per day. Breakthrough of the pilot tunnel was achieved on 8 May 1894 with an "official breakthrough" celebrated on 15 May 1894. At convergence of the two sections built from either site, there was a deviation of 4–5 centimetres.{{cite report |title=Zweiundvierzigster Geschäftsbericht der Direktion der Schweizerischen Nordostbahngesellschaft an die Generalversammlung der Aktionäre umfassend das Jahr 1894 |date=1895 |pages=84–86 |doi=10.5169/seals-730496 |volume=42 |language=de-CH |author1=Birchmeier }} Construction of the walling was finished in August of the same year. Overall, the construction of the Albis Tunnel finished one year earlier than planned,{{cite book |last1=Odermatt |first1=Franz |title=Land und Volk der Urschweiz |date=1940 |location=Stans |pages=248–251 |oclc=1271108674 |language=de-CH }} despite it originally being estimated to be the most time-consuming part of the Thalwil-Zug line.{{Cite report |title=Einundvierzigster Geschäftsbericht der Direktion der Schweizerischen Nordostbahngesellschaft an die Generalversammlung der Aktionäre umfassend das Jahr 1893 |date=1894 |pages=94–95 |doi=10.5169/seals-730463 |volume=41 |language=de-CH |last1=Escher |first1=E. }} The tunnel opened to traffic along with the rest of the Thalwil–Zug line on 1 June 1897 and at that time, at a length of {{cvt|3360|m}},{{Cite web |title=Tunnels |url=https://data.sbb.ch/explore/dataset/tunnel/table/?q=Zimmerbergtunnel |access-date=25 October 2024 |date=1 December 2017 |website=data.sbb.ch |publisher=SBB Infrastruktur }}{{Cite book |title=Schienennetz Schweiz / Réseau ferré suisse |last1=Wägli |first1=Hans G. |last2=Jacobi |first2=Sébastien |publisher=AS-Verlag |year=2010 |isbn=9783909111749 |edition=3rd |location=Zurich |page=151 |language=de-CH, fr }} it was the second longest tunnel of Switzerland.{{cite news |last1=Stuber |first1=Martin |title=Rückblick - Wie der Kanton Zug zum Eisenbahnknoten wurde |url=https://www.zugerzeitung.ch/zentralschweiz/zug/wie-der-kanton-zug-zum-eisenbahnknoten-wurde-ld.1245997 |access-date=10 January 2025 |work=Zuger Zeitung |publisher=CH Media |date=21 August 2020 |language=de-CH |archive-date=17 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250117122137/https://www.zugerzeitung.ch/zentralschweiz/zug/wie-der-kanton-zug-zum-eisenbahnknoten-wurde-ld.1245997 |url-status=live }}{{cite book |last1=Spitteler |first1=Carl |title=Der Gotthard |url=https://permalink.snl.ch/bib/sz991017981684003976 |access-date=4 January 2025 |page=25 |publisher=Verlag von J. Huber |date=1897 |language=de-CH }}{{cite book |last1=Bruder |first1=Hans |title=Zürcher Taschenbuch |date=1945 |publisher=Gesellschaft zürcherischer Geschichtsfreunde |location=Zürich |page=242 |language=de-CH |chapter=Zürcher Chronik : vom 1. Juli 1943 bis 30. Juni 1944 |work=E-Periodica |chapter-url=https://www.e-periodica.ch/digbib/view?pid=zut-001%3A1945%3A65%3A%3A238 |access-date=4 January 2025 }}

The Albis Tunnel constitutes a single-track section on the Thalwil-Zug relation used by both local and inter-regional trains. It has been described as a bottleneck of Swiss railway traffic as it prevents an expansion of traffic capacity.{{cite news |last1=Kälin |first1=Adi |title=Zimmerberg-Basistunnel: Viertlängster Bahntunnel der Schweiz |url=https://www.nzz.ch/zuerich/zimmerberg-basistunnel-viertlaengster-bahntunnel-der-schweiz-ld.1676037 |access-date=8 January 2025 |work=Neue Zürcher Zeitung |publisher=NZZ Mediengruppe |date=24 March 2022 |language=de-CH }}{{cite web |title=3 Kapazitätssteigerung Zug–Thalwil |url=https://zg.ch/de/mobilitaet-reisen/oeffentlicher-verkehr/zimmerbergbasistunnel |website=zg.ch |publisher=Staatskanzlei des Kantons Zug |access-date=8 January 2025 |language=de-CH |archive-date=9 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250109133848/https://zg.ch/de/mobilitaet-reisen/oeffentlicher-verkehr/zimmerbergbasistunnel |url-status=live }} This impacts routes leading into Central Switzerland, such as routes to Lucerne, as well as routes to Ticino in southern Switzerland.{{cite web |title=Zimmerberg-Basistunnel 2 {{!}} SBB |url=https://company.sbb.ch/de/ueber-die-sbb/projekte/deutschschweiz/region-zuerich/zuerich-zug-luzern-studie-zimmerberg-basistunnel-2.html |website=sbb.ch |publisher=Swiss Federal Railways |access-date=8 January 2025 |language=de-CH |archive-date=9 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250109132237/https://company.sbb.ch/de/ueber-die-sbb/projekte/deutschschweiz/region-zuerich/zuerich-zug-luzern-studie-zimmerberg-basistunnel-2.html |url-status=live }} Although proposals for the construction of a second tunnel parallel to the Albis Tunnels had been made,{{cite news |last1=Hotz |first1=Stefan |title=Umstrittener Bahnausbau zwischen Zürich und Zug |url=https://www.nzz.ch/umstrittener_bahnausbau_zwischen_zuerich_und_zug-ld.985633 |access-date=8 January 2025 |work=Neue Zürcher Zeitung |publisher=NZZ Mediengruppe |date=4 February 2011 |language=de-CH }}{{cite news |last1=Baumann |first1=Ruedi |title=SBB-Flaschenhals bei Sihlbrugg war wieder einmal verstopft |url=https://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/sbb-flaschenhals-bei-sihlbrugg-war-wieder-einmal-verstopft-518880794653 |access-date=10 January 2025 |work=Tages-Anzeiger |publisher=TX Group |date=10 January 2017 |language=de-CH |archive-date=10 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250110141006/https://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/sbb-flaschenhals-bei-sihlbrugg-war-wieder-einmal-verstopft-518880794653 |url-status=live }} they were dropped in favour of the planned Phase 2 of the Zimmerberg Base Tunnel (ZBT2),{{cite news |last1=Gilb |first1=Christopher |title=Zimmerberg-Basistunnel: Politik und Wirtschaft fordern schnelle Umsetzung |url=https://www.zugerzeitung.ch/zentralschweiz/zug/zimmerberg-basistunnel-den-tag-nicht-vor-dem-abend-loben-ld.1089782 |access-date=8 January 2025 |work=Zuger Zeitung |publisher=CH Media |date=31 January 2019 |language=de-CH |archive-date=17 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250117122608/https://www.zugerzeitung.ch/zentralschweiz/zug/zimmerberg-basistunnel-den-tag-nicht-vor-dem-abend-loben-ld.1089782 |url-status=live }} part of the Swiss railroad project STEP 2035, which would connect to the existing Phase 1 (ZBT1) in Thalwil and lead directly to Baar.

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{{NoteTag|name=length|The length given for this tunnel varies by source between 3358 m,{{r|name=Weber-1894}} 3359 m,{{r|name=Schweers-2012}} and 3360 m.{{r|name=data-sbb-2017}}{{r|name=waegli-2010-151}} This article uses the length given by SBB.}}

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Category:Railway tunnels in Switzerland