Bözberg Rail Tunnel
The Bözberg Rail Tunnel is a railway tunnel in the Swiss canton of Aargau. It takes the Bözberg railway line of the Swiss Federal Railways under the Bözberg Pass between Effingen and Schinznach-Dorf. The original tunnel was opened during 1875; it is set to be closed to rail traffic during 2020-2021 following the commissioning of its replacement, after which it shall be converted and retained for service and rescue purposes in respect to its successor.
South portal in 1875 | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Other name(s) | Bözbergtunnel |
| Line | Bözberg |
| Location | Aargau, Switzerland |
| Coordinates | 47°27′55″N 8°7′1″E |
| Operation | |
| Opened | 1875 |
| Closed | 2020 (rail tunnel) |
| Owner | Swiss Federal Railways, previous: Bötzbergbahn (BöB) |
| Operator | Swiss Federal Railways |
| Traffic | Rail |
| Character | Passenger and freight |
| Technical | |
| Length | 2,526 metres (1.570 mi) |
| No. of tracks | 2 |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) |
| Electrified | Overhead catenary 15 kV AC 16 2/3 Hz |
During March 2016, construction commenced on the new Bözberg Tunnel, which runs roughly parallel to its predecessor. It is a considerably wider and longer tunnel, being able to accommodate trains up to a height of 4 metres (13 ft). The reason for its construction is to better accommodate larger and heavier freight trains. The second Bözberg Rail Tunnel is scheduled to be opened during 2020.