IN THE HEART OF EUROPE |
The locals call it "the old country". And it is true that the dimensions and history of this canton of French-speaking Switzerland merge with those of Europe. Valais and the Rhone valley, which are now so close to modern Italy and a transit point between the South and North, saw the passing of the Roman legions well before the arrival of the holiday makers. The map confirms that Valais really is in the heart of Europe. At just five hours by train from Paris (including 4 hours on the Paris-Lausanne TGV) and 2¾ hours from Milan, the canton is directly connected to such major foreign cities as Strasbourg, Hamburg, Luxembourg, Brussels and Venice, to mention but a few. By plane, there are connections through the international airports of Sion, Geneva-Cointrin and Zurich-Kloten or Basle-Mulhouse and Bern.
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The NLFA |
As we embark upon the 21st century, European transport geography is in the throes of change. High-speed railway lines link up and modify the time taken by land transport.
Modern transport routes are axes of prosperity. By building the NLFA (New Railway Lines through the Alps), Switzerland will be ideally positioned on the main North-South routes and thereby safeguard its traditional place in a modified context.
New basic tunnels, through the St. Gothard, the Ceneri, the Zimmerberg, the Hirzel and the Loetschberg, supplemented by the modification of the access lines, will make North-South passenger and goods travel that much shorter and faster.
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