Feature

Gotthard Railway Tunnel relies on Spelsberg WKE fire-resistant junction boxes

It would be no exaggeration to call the Gotthard Railway Tunnel an engineering marvel. Stretching 35 miles in length, at up to 2,450m deep through the Swiss Alps, it’s both the longest and deepest tunnel in the world.

07/10/2019 11:20:26

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This application environment presents a substantial challenge to those trying to ensure fire safety, especially when it comes to protecting vital electricals in the event of an emergency. That’s why the junction boxes trusted to provide this protection are WKE fire-resistant enclosures from
Spelsberg.

Anyone who has ever commuted through Europe can understand the importance of ensuring fire safety in tunnels. Fires underground are especially hard to tackle due to high levels of smoke and heat in an enclosed area, which can be exacerbated by airflow through
the tunnel. With the Gotthard Railway Tunnel constituting two parallel tunnels connected by access points with a combined length of around 95 miles, fire protection solutions have been specified by contractors to deliver the utmost performance in this most extreme of situations. Spelsberg’s
WKE junction boxes are no different.

Spelsberg has long been a supplier of high-performance enclosures, with the company’s products included in everything from battleships to prisons. The company has a track record in fire resistant solutions also, with the inherent features of the WKE
an indicator of this application know-how. In all cases, the WKE is designed to offer protection to vital electrical systems that may power smoke extractors or emergency lighting inside the tunnel, maximising the escape window for passengers inside.

Read the full article in the October issue of DPA.

Written By Sophia Bell

Sophia Bell is the Group Editor of DPA, Connectivity, and PBSI. She joined the team in 2020 as Assistant Editor after achieving a First-Class Honours BA in English Literature and Film Studies from the University of East Anglia. In her current role, she leads the editorial strategy, driving digital growth and ensuring each title continues to deliver trusted, relevant insight for engineering and manufacturing professionals.