The tunnel was built from 1871 to 1881. Construction was surveyed by the Swiss engineer Louis Favre, who suffered a fatal heart attack inside the tunnel in 1879. Construction was difficult due to financial, technical and geological issues, the latter leading to the death of around 200 workers (the exact number is not known) mainly due to water inrushes; many were also killed by the compressed air-driven trains carrying excavated material out of the tunnel. There were also serious health issues caused by an epidemic of hookworm infection [2]. A strike of the workers in 1875 was crushed by the Swiss Army, killing four and wounding 13.
There is a memorial for the dead workers near the station building at Airolo, created by the artist Vincenzo Vela.
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SBB Re 4/4 11237 and Re 6/6 11686 Hochdorf (This Gotthard combination is nicknamed Re 10/10) passing Bhf Wassen – Kanton Uri Gotthard line north ramp 27 May 2011 -
SBB ETR 470-005 ex Cisalpino passing Bhf Wassen – Kanton Uri Gotthard line north ramp 27 May 2011. Not happy with its poor performance SBB will take its 4 sets out of service in 2014 -
Mixed freight powered by DB-Schenker 185-095 and 185-111 passing Bhf Wassen – Kanton Uri Gotthard line north ramp 27 May 2011 on their way to Italy -
Re 6/6 11652 and Re 4/4 11177 Wassen 27 May 2011
