Technology

Passengers will enter the Swissmetro comfortably through an airlock

The Swissmetro will run in two single lane tunnels to ensure maximum safety. The tunnels are located at a depth of 50 - 100 meters below the surface and have a diameter of 6.5 meters.

Every 15 kilometers suction pumps are installed, which produce a partial vacuum in the tunnels. The partial vacuum is used to reduce air resistance, thus allowing a higher speed for Swissmetro and reducing energy consumption.

The pressure in the tunnel is comparable to the atmospheric pressure at an altitude of 15.000 meters. In the Swissmetro vehicle, as in the pressurized cabin of an airplane, normal pressure conditions are produced. In case of an emergency, the atmospheric pressure is rapidly restored.

Compared to the New Railway Link through the Alps (NRLA) project and to road tunnels, the tunnel for Swissmetro is built faster and will cost less. The smaller tunnel diameter alone saves enormous costs and shortens the construction period. To further shorten the construction time, the drilling will be launched in both directions from the intermediate points, where the suction pumps will be installed afterwards. Thus, a pilot line such as Zurich - Basel can be taken into operation after only 8 years.

The drilling takes place mainly through the relatively soft molasse of the Swiss Plateau. Thanks to the low depth, the geological conditions are very well known. Unlike the NRLA project with its cost pushing risk factors, Swissmetro can therefore easily be realized in geological terms.