Zimmerberg Base Tunnel

Zimmerberg Base Tunnel
Overview
LineGotthard Line
LocationZürich, Switzerland
Coordinates47°19′40″N 8°31′52″E / 47.3277°N 8.5312°E / 47.3277; 8.5312
StatusActive since 2003
SystemSwiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS)
StartZürich
EndThalwil
Operation
OpenedApril 2003
OwnerSBB Infrastructure
OperatorSBB CFF FFS
TrafficRailway
CharacterPassenger and freight
Technical
Length9.4 km (5.8 mi)
No. of tracks2
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) (standard gauge)
Electrified15 kV 16.7 Hz
Operating speed160 km/h (99 mph)

The Zimmerberg Base Tunnel (ZBT) is a railway tunnel under the Zimmerberg mountains in Switzerland. Phase I of the tunnel was opened to traffic during April 2003.

The ZBT has been divided into two phases of work; as of 2024, only Phase I is operational while Phase II remains in the planning and preparation stages. Zimmerberg I is about 10 km long; it links Zürich with Thalwil, bypassing a section of the Lake Zürich left-bank railway line, which allows rail traffic to traverse the mountains more efficiently.