VERY LONG TUNNELS ARE BEING PROPOSED, BUT ARE WE SURE THAT THEIR UTILITY INCREASES WITH THEIR LENGTH?

One of the reasons for digging a rail tunnel is that it makes large volumes of traffic possible. Operating experience has accumulated from the longest rail tunnels, which so far have not exceeded 20 km in length. In much longer tunnels of more than 40 km, such as those proposed since the 1950's, one may be obliged to restrict the density of traffic, and therefore the volume handled. In addition, there is the problem of dumping the rubble which, when spread among the mountains, risks adversely affecting the hydrogeological balance. Finally, the cost of digging tunnels, always very high, increases much more than in mere proportion to their length. Is it worth building very long tunnels?

• Corporate Authors:

  International Railway Congress Association

  17-21 rue de Louvrain
  1000 Brussels,   Belgium 
• Authors:
  • Puccio, S
• Publication Date: 1980-5

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 318-320
• Serial:
  • RAIL INTERNATIONAL
  • Volume: 11
  • Issue Number: 5

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Analysis; Costs; Operations; Planning; Railroad facility operations; Structural design; Tunneling; Tunnels
• Uncontrolled Terms: Cost analysis; Line capacity; Tunnel design
• Old TRIS Terms: Operations planning; Tunnel excavation
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Bridges and other structures; Finance; Planning and Forecasting; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00317419
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 16 1980 12:00AM