The 15.4km tunnel is the final corridor phase of the upgrade of the Zurich – Milan corridor which will cut journey times between the two cities to less than three hours.

Thales will provide its ETCS Level 2 train control technology for the tunnel, and will be responsible for project management and integration of train command and control systems.

The Ceneri Base Tunnel is located between Bellinzona and Lugano, 25km south of the Gotthard Base Tunnel, and comprises two single-track tubes which are located 40m apart. It will open in 2020.