Swiss ratify new trans-alpine rail and tunnel links

Excessive exhaust pollution could become a very serious problem particularly in narrow alpine valleys. Though costly, extensive tunneling is seen as the only practical solution to protecting the environment. Currently, there is a gross vehicle weight limit of 28 tonne throughout Switzerland, compared with 40 tonne for the rest of Europe. Exploratory drilling has begun on two major tunneling projects as part of an extensive $11.25 bn high-speed rail link, to carry combined road and container freight. This article describes the new rail network scheme.