A Clear Run for Gotthard

It is an impressive feat of engineering: Over a record length of 57 kilometers, the Gotthard Base Tunnel will be burrowing its way through the mountains as an important part of the new AlpTransit railway line from 2016 onwards. There is one crucial factor when it comes to running the line: The tracks have to be accessible to the diesel-run emergency vehicles at all times. This means that standard earthing and short-circuit devices are out of the question as they would require the route to be closed off. PFISTERER has therefore developed a special solution for unobstructed and accessible assembly, which is also suitable for ceiling installation.

Instead of conventional earthing technology, the experts at PFISTERER are simply short-wiring the feeder conductor that runs along the roof. So how do you install the cable when it is 5.5 m in the air? With an innovative tool: A torque-controlled, removable earthing pole equipped with retaining brackets. This positions the terminal with ultimate precision and screws it securely in place. It cannot be removed until a certain level of torque has been reached. Yet another impressive feat of engineering.