The Old Gotthard Tunnel Route Drivers Eye View

The Gotthard railway is one of the greatest feats in European railway engineering. Completed after a decade of immense labour and at the cost of 147 lives, the original tunnel and its approaches carved a pioneering route through the Alps. Engineers faced extraordinary challenges, creating more than 85 miles of steeply graded approaches supported by viaducts, bridges and multiple spiral tunnels bored through solid mountain rock. With gradients as severe as 1 in 37, early steam workings demanded double-heading and banking locomotives to successfully conquer the climb.

Our journey begins in Lugano, where a funicular links the lakeside town to the hilltop railway station. Taking our place in the cab of a modern Regional Express unit, we immediately begin to climb towards the Monte Ceneri Pass, offering sweeping views over the Ticino plain. A steady descent brings us into Bellinzona, capital of the Italian-speaking region of Switzerland, where a change of crew prepares our train for the dramatic alpine ascent ahead.

Departing Bellinzona, the route begins its steady, determined rise towards the Gotthard summit. Along the way we pass the portal of the Gotthard Base Tunnel, the world’s longest rail tunnel, opened in 2016 to carry modern high-speed and freight traffic deep beneath the mountains. Our train, however, remains on the historic surface alignment, climbing through the rugged landscape and passing engineering landmarks before reaching Airolo and entering the famous original tunnel—once the longest in the world when it opened in 1882. A short historical reflection accompanies our passage through its nine miles of rock.

Emerging on the northern side of the massif, the descent begins, every bit as spectacular as the climb. The line spirals downward through avalanche galleries and looping tunnels, following the contours of the mountainside before reaching Erstfeld. With dramatic alpine scenery throughout and detailed narration by Jonathan Kydd, this production offers an immersive view of one of the most iconic mountain railways in the world, combining historic significance with breathtaking terrain.