This is the very first electric train running through the brand new 15,4 kilometer (9,3 miles) long Ceneri Base Tunnel (CBT), between Camorino in the magadino plane and Vezia north of Lugano. The tunnel has two separate single track bores in a distance of 40 meter, connected every 325 meter with a cross-cut. Train 97911 from Bellinzona via Giubiasco-Ceneri Base Tunnel-Vezia to Lugano was formed with the leading cab car Bt, 4 first class Apm cars and the Re 460 # 088 shoving in the rear. The train entered the north portal of the CBT at 04.11 PM. The Ceneri Base Tunnel is the fifth longest railway tunnel of Switzerland (after Gotthard Base tunnel, Lötschberg Base Tunnel, Simplon and Vereina ) and the logical continuation of the Gotthard Base Tunnel to the south and crosses under the Ceneri Pass. The CBT will be officially inaugurated on september 4th and timetabled operation will start on december 13th 2020. In the picture on the left is the track coming out from the south and going over a long bridge towards Giubiasco-Bellinzona. On the right, the test train is running on the track coming from Bellinzona-Giubiasco and going to Lugano. A single connection track (in the middle), called "Bretella" (suspender), connetcs both tracks of the Ceneri Base Tunnel with Cadenazzo and Locarno, and enables very fast S-Bahn connections (about 1/2 hour) between the large Ticino cities of Lugano and Locarno. In the background are the snow covered 2390 meter high Cima del Uomo mountain on the left, and the 2727 meter high Pizzo di Claro on the right.
