Page "Alfred Escher" Paragraph 19

Despite the expansion of the rail network in the 1850s, there was still a danger that Switzerland would be left out of the wider European scheme of things.

Although connections with the main Swiss towns and cities had soon been established, there was still no major north-south route.

Alfred Escher initially favoured a trans-Alpine link via the Lukmanier, he changed his mind and became an advocate of the Gotthard project.

Escher threw all the economic and political resources at his command behind this ambitious project.

He consulted engineers and other experts, and conducted negotiations with the authorities at home and abroad.

At the international Gotthard conference held in the autumn of 1869, the final decision was made in favour of the Gotthard line.

In 1871 the Gotthardbahn-Gesellschaft ( Gotthard Railway Company ) was established, with Escher as its chairman.

The construction phase was hampered by a variety of problems in realising the project and a-given the scale of the project, rather modest – budget overrun of around 11 %.

Escher was exposed to increasingly vociferous criticism, prompting him to resign as chairman of the Gotthard Rail Company in 1878.

When the builders of the Gotthard tunnel broke through in 1880, he was not invited to attend.

In 1882 this landmark project was finally completed and the Gotthard tunnel was ceremoniously opened.

This time, Escher was invited but unable to attend the opening celebrations because of his poor health.

The Gotthard tunnel played a vital part in putting Switzerland on the international transport map.

In the years following its inauguration the volume of goods and passengers passing through soared, turning Switzerland into an important transit country.