Keeping Control over the Commissioning of Large, Complex Projects with the Help of a Management Database

The Gotthard Base Tunnel is a key component in the new railway link through the Alps like the Lotschberg Base Tunnel which has already entered service. The Swiss people first voted in favor of the project in 1992. The intention of this project is for efficient, high-capacity railway lines to attract transit traffic off the roads and onto the rails and also to protect the Alps and other people who live in the region from further ecological harm. The Gotthard Base Tunnel is 57 km long, which is one of the factors that makes commissioning of the tunnel a difficult undertaking. However, effective control over the commissioning operation can be achieved by applying a management database. Commissioning can be understood as the link between the design of the project and the engineering work on the one hand, and the operation of the entire installation on the other hand. Experience gained from the Lotschberg tunnel is being applied with numerous technical system components to ensure that the trains run safely through the tunnel.