From Basel, in the north of Switzerland, to Chiasso on the Italian border, we capture the multitude of traffic that uses this alpine route daily. The sheer variety of the rail traffic is unrivalled, freight trains with 2 or 3 locomotives to Trans-European trains, all twisting and spiralling their way over this high pass. From Luzern the railway climbs 2,350 feet in 55 miles to Goschenen where the trains enter the 9.5 mile long Gotthard Tunnel. Emerging from the southern portal of the tunnel, the trains continue their relentless journey to the south through the Ticino region with stops at Bellinzona and Lugano before reaching the Italian border. For an hour we study this fascinating railway which challenged the minds of its builders and explore the mighty Alpine Barrier.