Why Switzerland drilled the Alps like cheese?

[@RailwaysExplained]

About HARTING Technology Group: www.harting.com/DE/en-gb/innotrans? About Rail Customized Solutions: www.harting.com/DE/en-gb/inter-car-jumper-cable-solutions?

[@heidirabenau511]

Lol, I beat you by 17 minutes

[@tamasjakaba2941]

I am really happy that Harting supports your work. They make heavy duty and extremely reliable products. I would recommend any of their product in a heartbeat

[@Petar_Savic]

I like your russian accent

[@carkawalakhatulistiwa]

How to pay for this . China can Made this only with 15 billon dollar 🤣

[@georgescamp3106]

5:3 5:39 5:39 5:42 5:43 ❤

[@eljanrimsa5843]

The one country where people decide directly what their money is spent on, decides to build a lot of railways.

[@markusstudeli2997]

Indeed, railway infrastructure tends to get a lot of popular support in votes, and it's the parliament in budget debates that tends to cut or delay plans.

[@shortfattoad7317]

Yes, until the government decides to ignore the voters and do what they like anyway. Buying F15 jets from the US after the country voted against it in 2020!! What is next?

[@TheDavidlloydjones]

@@geryszabo3741 7 days ago Fairy Tail Wings? Maybe. Tails? Not in any picture I've ever seen.

[@stefano8936]

Their money? Don't make me laugh. It's EU money.

[@Vladimirthetiny]

@@stefano8936 aren't these new tunneling projects important for intra EU traffic??

[@Cl0ckcl0ck]

$25 billion that mostly flowed back into the Swiss/EU economy very fast, now results in huge savings on oil imports, big gains in transportation efficiency and a massive positive environmental impact. The man power used is probably made up in trucking man power saved every few years. These projects are such non-brainers. I'm so happy we have a can do attitude on the European mainland. Excellent video, very clear and informative.

[@shortfattoad7317]

Exactly the the UK's HS2..... NOT!!

[@stefanschneider3681]

I am Swiss in my fifties, so this project was part of almost all of my life! It was one of the first things I could vote on, a friend of mine was one of the geology-guys assessing the mountains etc. It is one of the projects we can really be proud of I think. What is really surprising to me again and again is how little is left of all these massive construction-sites. On both ends you just see those two holes, nothing else any more!

[@namikadaj3381]

I love Switzerland, I have been here for a week now, you are wonderful people

[@shortfattoad7317]

@@namikadaj3381 ?? Stay here a little longer, you will change your mind... Oh, it will happen.

[@adomix]

I‘m swiss based too and even after 30 years of being here i‘m still amazed what they have built into the mountains. There‘s a lot more than you actually see, like all the water/energy management. Swiss mountains are like swiss (emmentaler) cheese…full of wholes.

[@gianurwiler5098]

​@@namikadaj3381Thank you ❤ you are welcome

[@gianurwiler5098]

​@@shortfattoad7317certainly not, i live here and its beautiful and stable

[@blubbedidoing]

The Ceneri base tunnel has a length of only about 15 km. The mentionned 40 km are total excavation length, so both tubes count and also all the cross passages and access tunnels.

[@RailwaysExplained]

That's right.

[@jebise1126]

funny at the start of video it shows proper length

[@hrgunit]

Same for the Zimmerbergtunnel from the travelers perspective. But I guess with a focus on construction makes sense, just the word 'excavated' is missing. Thanks for your highly accurate and visually pleasing coverage. (BTW. The rhine cargo ships usually only travel to Basel directly at the boarder. Not even through to the Bodensee. This is due to the Rhine-Waterfall. Further up this lake its just a much smaller mountain valley river)

[@charity4ever]

Totally wrong , there are two 57km tunnels ....thats the Gotthard-Basistunnel. Totally there are over 200km of tunnels totally on the north-south railway. de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gotthard-Basistunnel#Lage,_Verlauf_und_Geologie greets from switzerland actually every swiss knows this

[@zero_twelve]

@@charity4ever he is talking about the Ceneri base tunnel that has a length of 15km

[@birawaich]

Just wanted to mention that I love how the video footage in the background was of Switzerland through and through and not some generic tunnel/mountain backdrop. Wasn't sure about it in other videos as I do not know the area, but CH I know well enough.

[@danielberger1378]

I just hope, that Italy and Germany get their S together to increase their own capacity on the north-south corridor.

[@tommay6590]

😂😂😂that was a good one, especially concerning Germany

[@Sedna063]

@@tommay6590 Eh, we are building. Slowly.

[@Anonym-dg7xd]

@@Sedna063 Are we? I thought were still planning😅

[@gabrielebursi5509]

Italy is SLOWLY getting better with her rail system. I hope one day it will be as good as Switzerland’s, but Lumbardy’s rail is actualy going backwards...

[@stefanomovilli1352]

At least we are going on as planned with the Brenner base tunnel, together with Austria. On that corridor Germany is... lost in the woods.

[@jermainetrainallen6416]

Thanks for the video. This is just another example of why the Swiss rail network is so unique.

[@humanecities]

Quality public policy is integral to these projects! Hopefully we can make similarly big decisions in other countries.

[@SpotterCrazyperson]

Amazing tunnels in Switzerland!

[@RailwaysExplained]

Indeed!

[@johnclark8227]

You could say, that this was a NEAT project :D Okay, i see myself out now :)

[@RailwaysExplained]

Haha, good one! 😆

[@danielberger1378]

I see what you did there 😆👍

[@trainspotting_and_tech2023]

I love it! Switzerland, you nailed it again! 😊👌

[@ScorpiaBoost]

You missed the political nonsense, where both italy and germany didn't follow the contract. Italy didn't have the money so Switzerland had to step in, as you briefly mentioned, and Germany is way behind schedule...

[@tomislavkusanic5572]

With every passing episode I'm liking this channel more and more. Looking forward to more videos about current and upcoming rail projects (etc. Semmerring basis tunel, Koralmbahn, etc.)

[@RailwaysExplained]

Thank you very much 😉

[@cliffwoodbury5319]

When all these tunnels are built Italy will not longer seam so separated. There is a tunnel being built n France to Italy and i think one in the far east being built!!!m If they can get the jurisdiction!!! to make seamless travel from border to border within the E.U. Europe would be AMAZING to travel by rail

[@darren25061965]

Europe is already amazing to travel by train, I`ve done it. Only Needed Passport to board Eurostar train to leave UK, then travelled to Budapest via France, Germany and Austria. Returned to UK via Slovakia, Czech Republic, Germany, Belgium and France. Three trains on the way out, London - Paris, Paris - Munich, Munich - Budapest (Night Sleeper Train). The return journey was four trains via a different route, Budapest - Hamburg (14Hrs), Hamburg to Cologne, Cologne - Paris, Paris - London.

[@edwardmiessner6502]

Switzerland: Invests $25 bln in high speed railway tunnels USA politicians: "Oh that's too expensive and a waste of money!"

[@neilbowers6956]

Great Britain spends £25 billion+ on a high-speed line then decides that they may not actually wish to finish the line in the capital and also we'd like to scrap an integral part that goes to Leeds. Switzerland is a fantastic country one i'd love to live in.

[@sghindc]

Very Complete and enjoyable explanation of these amazingly difficult projects! Thank you!

[@RailwaysExplained]

Glad you like it

[@MrZog-yv3be]

Where I live a once advanced and comprehensive railway system is now used as a source of scrap metal. Cars and trucks rule. Employment is created and everybody is happy, especially the metal harvesters and of course the government which gets the road and fuel taxes. It really is strange seeing so much being invested in rail infrastructure. In my part of the world the trucking industry and the car-obsessed public would never tolerate a single millimetre of rail being laid, let alone a project of this magnitude. They just want the potholed roads to be fixed. Well done Suisse!

[@sarahmiller4734]

Where is that?

[@almerindaromeira8352]

Die Schweiz hat's drauf!

[@YetAnotherGeorgeth]

Switzerland really love their rail transport, and considering how much electrified railed they have that can only be a good thing environmentally. Just a shame the EU is too in bed with the automotive industry to care...

[@jean-emmanuelrotzetter6030]

Switzerland has no coal mines and encountered problems importing coal during WW1. So electrification of railway network started early, Gotthard route completed 1920, half of the SBB network by 1928.

[@handlemonium]

Sure I can imagine that. Not as bad as America is though IMO. 😝

[@Gnefitisis]

You're kidding right? Europe is nothing compared to the US.

[@aurelspecker6740]

Yeah, as a swiss I am also suprised when I am in other countries. Diesel trains... Cmon... WHY? Yeah it's costly to install the electrification, but so much cheaper in the usage. So much cleaner. So much less noise. So much faster.... But well, you gotta think into the future for that...

[@aurelspecker6740]

@D R You know that the european grid and electricity market is interconnected for a very long time. This argument of "CH has more energy sources" is simply not relevant. BTW: Hydrostorage is not that cheap.

[@player3prime]

They also built a new Bözberg tunnel for the 4m limit and the old one is now being used as an emergency exit.

[@Shavaaa]

When it comes to digging tunnels, the swiss wont mess around

[@mautida9998]

I mean what’s the best way to cross mountains ? - TUNNELS 😂

[@trainspotting_and_tech2023]

From what can I see, EU policies are a bit biased toward road & air transport! That's not nice EU! 🤔🧐

[@anustubhmishra]

it kinda is but compared to north america its practically anti road lmao

[@trainspotting_and_tech2023]

@@anustubhmishra indeed, but not enough in my opinion! 🤔

[@b43xoit]

There are vids of the Gotthard opening ceremony; it was amazing.

[@Hunter-zn2hx]

You should do video on proposed Czech high speed network. It is quite ambitious project.

[@jamesbutler5570]

You forgot to mention that the german and the italian have to renew their parts to, to fully make the project go into work. Germans are behind 5 years. Italians didn start yet. Thanks EU!

[@adilee626]

I‘ve watched many videos about the gotthard tunnel and none of them wer nearly as good as this one, thanks!

[@michaeltarasenkoop2389]

Credit to the country’s that alluded the citizens to make the decisions on how to provide roadways. For the people to provide how to build the roadways from place to place by a vote by the citizens !

[@rezaalan3991]

Great video and great explanation.

[@RailwaysExplained]

Thank you!

[@kkon5ti]

Lmao never has a sponsor fit better than here

[@erikschiegg68]

Waiting since decades that Italians and Germans do their little part. We even threw some money at the italians to finish the transeuropean line, but they prefer singing _lascatemi cantare...!_

[@MrSaemichlaus]

In the case of Germany, it looks to me like they are terribly afraid of opening a can of worms. I once travelled from Zürich to München and felt like it was something of a joke that on the German side, a diesel locomotive pulled us to München at a whopping speed of 80 km/h!

[@Sedna063]

@@MrSaemichlaus That route isn't one of the most pressing concerns although the line has now been upgraded so say goodbye to Diesel engines pulling you. But yes - Zurich Munich is a very peripheral connection and it won't receive a lot of money because there are frankly many inner German connections that could need German taxpayer money a lot more.

[@lucienschreiner]

Hallo, ich bin Schweizer.

[@r.trinidad3656]

OMG I live there 🤣 is so strange to see my hometown🏡 in your videos. But I like it a lot :) Btw first time being here and u got a new sub🔝😤

[@petrhajduk9955]

How about a video about train testing tracks like the one in Zelim, Czechia?

[@MSI2k]

Great foresight and planning and implementation. Just weird celebrations: 10:24 .. I mean wtf is that? lol

[@MrSaemichlaus]

Everybody thought that celebration was weird, lol There seemed to be a focus on some mystic mountain culture, which nobody really gives a sh*t about nowadays to be honest.

[@Edelweiss1102]

Honestly even we Swiss thought it was weird. Some of it is meant to represent some legends and myths surrounding the Gotthard region which is fair enough, some people love their tradition. But what half naked dancing people on a train car have to do with anything? Beats me.

[@GBOAC]

2:17 lol the northern branch should have been placed 100 km southward to the port of Rotterdam

[@giovannidepetris6335]

could you comment on the Italian investments on the Italian side?

[@krcn00b]

7:14 you should mention the blue banana

[@cpcattin]

Switzerland builds tunnels like Mc Donald’s sells hamburgers.

[@KrunoBaraba]

Dobar video . Prepoznajem ti Srbski naglasak .

[@RailwaysExplained]

Hvala! 😁

[@taoist42]

This is what happens when you fight a stranger in the Alps.

[@amblincork]

Too many ads interupt the video but is an intersting video and an extrarordinary story of rail/unnel investment by Switzerland

[@KcarlMarXs]

Can we have them to do the major two tunnels here in California?

[@Magellan-s2p]

Rhine alpine corridor is also know as the blue banana

[@jebise1126]

damn... only 5 giza pyramids of rock was excavated. imagine how much material is in one of that pyramid.

[@mautida9998]

Btw A good part of it was used to make concrete for the tunnel lol.

[@dorotheaisserstedt9238]

Sehr interessant, aber das Video ist ein bisschen zu schnell abgelaufen. Ich staune vor allem, dass dieses wichtige Eisenbahnstrukturprojekt wenig bekannt ist. Ich höre/sehe das hier zum erstenmal.

[@petermiller9712]

great video

[@RailwaysExplained]

Thanks!

[@einundsiebenziger5488]

At 25 billion it is a terra-project rather than a mega-project😉.

[@booksteer7057]

I'd like to know how traffic fatalities dropped since fewer trucks had to be driven across the mountains.

[@palkoradacovsky]

Marti Tunnel ❤

[@paxtoncargill4661]

And NYC can barely get a tunnel under a river

[@TarmanTheChampion]

In case of "the" emergency??! 😮😅 ;) ;) Please don't be shy...You can share with us this emergency! So we can be better prepared

[@fondalaking8683]

I'm a filipino just wishing your government could help mine to build one such tunnel in the northern Philippines(Baguio City through its province to the northern most--some 150 kilometer-long), with the help of the world bank

[@dnb.ambassadors]

Excellent Video but would it be possible to improve the sound quality?

[@alexisdespland4939]

why dose the grand st bernard pass thev only trans alpine pas that never is own rail line.

[@tompeled6193]

When will the Lötschberg Tunnel be finished?

[@Chroma7777]

Afaik sometime until 2030

[@Braun30]

The base tunnel was put in service in 2007.

[@stefanschneider3681]

Exactly, it was open before Gotthard, but as mentioned only with one side completely finished and operating. But still: Traveling from Bern to say Zermatt was cut by more than 30 minutes, you leave Frutigen - it gets dark - you blink twice - „next stop Visp, willkommen im Wallis“ 😅!

[@trainsbreath6517]

Wow

[@Bigma_Industries]

-May I suggest: The $25 Billion Largest Mega Project in Switzerland's History- A great and very informative video as always🙌 Edit: Starstruck, but always glad to help😊😊

[@RailwaysExplained]

Great suggestion! We changed the titl.

[@FortuneZer0]

none square swiss flags are pure cringe.

[@MrSaemichlaus]

As a Swiss person, I don't mind it at all ...

[@FortuneZer0]

@@MrSaemichlaus Hmm, mues me halt mal dini Fiche aktualisiere...

[@georgH]

12:02 "set 40m apart" According to the picture shown, shouldn't it be 4m?

[@Edelweiss1102]

It's 40m, the picture was chosen at random I guess.

[@georgH]

@@Edelweiss1102 Thanks!

[@Cl0ckcl0ck]

That what the crossbar is for. It indicates that a piece (without useful information) is cut out of the drawing for clarity.

[@SunnyFLBoy]

Switzerland spent 22bln for railways and tunels, USA spent it on war in Ukraine.

[@darthmaul216]

It’s a lone and it just got lumped into the military budget

[@maxwalker1159]

Cool

[@saifulabee3389]

Yes of course,but nothing to income money for mypersonnal account🤔

[@wharpblast264]

Sorry you seem to confuse cost and value.

[@jebise1126]

apparently not so big change as they dont get as much traffic as expected mainly because of customs for entering switzerland and such... at least according to some videos.

[@markusstudeli2997]

Nonsense! 71% of transalpine cargo through Switzerland is on railways (data from 2020). With the opening of the Ceneri base tunnel this percentage has again increased. Switzerland was leading the way with the NEAT, other countries have fortunately recognized the value of this sustainable way of transport and followed suit. While the quota for all transalpine cargo is not quite that high yet, a crucial factor in raising the quota is heavy investments by Alpine countries to improve rail infrastructure. The opening of the Brenner base railway tunnel between Austria and Italy and the TELT between France and Italy will further move the scale towards railroad cargo. Italy (in 2015 still at only 30% of cargo on railways) has increased its budget to modernize its rail network and will ultimately shift more freight traffic from road to rail. The country is improving the four TEN-T Corridors that run between the mountain passes to the southern ports to support this goal. Of these links, the one via the Gotthard Tunnel through Switzerland is the most important. Between Rotterdam and Genoa it runs through a strong economic area that accounts for 16% of the European Union’s GDP. Switzerland is investing heavily to support smoother cargo flow. With the opening of the 15-kilomtere-long Ceneri Base Tunnel, this crucial artery for North-South freight traffic lead to freight trains to be able to transport up to 2,000 tonnes instead of the roughly 1,600 tonnes they could move before. Check the report here, if you're interested: www.bav.admin.ch/dam/bav/de/dokumente/verkehrstraeger/eisenbahn/gueterverkehr/2-semesterbericht-2021-aqv.pdf.download.pdf/d_Semesterbericht%202-2021%20V1.0.pdf

[@jebise1126]

@@markusstudeli2997 what about % of how full tracks are? like 260 trains is max as video says how many trains are passing?

[@st-ex8506]

While it was true for a couple of years, due to ITALY not building in time its part of the overall system, it is long not the case anymore. Pay attention to how old the videos you are watching are!

[@st-ex8506]

@@jebise1126 Irrelevant! These tunnels have been built to satisfy the transalpine traffic for the next century! You wouldn't expect them to be at capacity a few years after opening, would you? What is important is how much has the road traffic through the most impacted alpine valleys been reduced. THAT was the will of the Swiss people. And I believe it is around 80+%. These tunnels are a resounding success!

[@markusstudeli2997]

@@jebise1126 It would really be bad if these tracks ran at full capacity a few years after completion of the main tunnels already! Plus keep in mind that the approach lines, particularly in Germany, are still under construction! Induced demand will increase figures in the coming decades: By providing the NRLA infrastructure, transalpine rail cargo (and passenger rail) will inevitably replace big parts of transalpine road transport. Figure that: In Switzerland, truck weight is limited to 40 t, so a single train with 2000 t capacity and one driver replaces 50 trucks with 50 drivers! Besides the economical benefits, this is also much more energy efficient and ecological. More capacity for the NRLA is already in the planning with the extension of the Lötschberg double track part, maybe even making it completely double track, like the Gotthard base tunnel. Additionally the Zimmerberg tunnel 2 will eliminate an important bottleneck on the Gotthard northern approach. Unfortunately, the truck and car lobby, particularly in Germany, tries to spin a negative picture of rail transport. So be careful when you consult "KZbin University".

[@alexisdespland4939]

also what are the swiss doing to upgrde the east west cross switerland lines.

[@truedarklander]

From the west it's relatively easy to get in and out. To the west I'm not sure. Perhaps it's better and more cost effective to connect to Austria through Germany

[@alexisdespland4939]

@@truedarklander could you look into it and make a video about it. i am half swiss.

[@danielberger1378]

Nothing, because it's not needed and because of the congested area around Olten and Zurich, simply not possible.... On the west-east corridor, cargo is run from France through Germany towards Poland, and from France through Italy towards Austria/Slovenia. EDIT: some major projects are in store to enhance capacity, but that wil be mainly for passenger services.

[@andrep8287]

@@alexisdespland4939 ...which half is Swiss? the upper or the lower?....lol

[@alexisdespland4939]

@@andrep8287 the half that loves trains ofcorse. lol

[@kalui96]

すごい！

[@danielcraig243]

What did they do with all the rocks?

[@madjazz3141]

They converted it to gravel and sand (for concrete) with several on-site plants

[@danielcraig243]

@@madjazz3141 Thanks!

[@adomix]

Like Mad Jazz said + some of the gravel was used to build a few islands and beaches on the nearly lake, so they upgraded the tourism in that region as well.

[@yaitz3313]

Could you make a video about Israel Railways?

[@michelwong1]

👍👍

[@aoilpe]

You mentioned “Overhead whirring” instead of “Overhead Rails”.

[@andrep8287]

Actually, the correct term is "overhead wiring" in this context.

[@aoilpe]

@@andrep8287 And it’s still a rail made of aluminum….

[@crinolynneendymion8755]

@@aoilpe No it's not.

[@aoilpe]

@@crinolynneendymion8755 Have a look 👀 ! It is…

[@SchwaechertskgsparSeconde]

continental µ to °

[@RoadsFranconia]

You need a better mic, dude!

[@thisismyname007]

I made the Kessl Run in less than five parasecs!🎉😮🎉😮🎉😮🎉😮

[@angelevstatiev8522]

Не във долари а във Switzerland Frank no dolas euro no 2022. 2040

[@haotichar]

invest $100 in production of these videos, and you'll get far more views...

[@cobalt8619]

What a weird sponsor lol

[@jakleo337]

At 10:26 Some would say satanic. And they would be right.

[@thgserra]

Evil Celebration...!

[@vanrosseyon]

Second!!

[@jacku8304]

Win- Lose Situation. A Win for India and a Lose for poor Japan... Japan must be fuming like hell...!!

[@firepowerg]

FIRST!

[@heidirabenau511]

Third

[@juanlu3958]

Why country like swit doesnt use PRT system to replace railways?

[@KD10Conqueror]

PRT?

[@juanlu3958]

@@KD10Conqueror Personal Rapid Transit

[@juanlu3958]

@@KD10Conqueror If this thing replaced by PRT might just cost 3-5billions.And much more cheap to maintain,15000-20000person per hour,far more stations than Railway system.They can connect every village in switerland aint that nice

[@KD10Conqueror]

@@juanlu3958 Never been to switzerland? Cause that sound like another BS project. Like Cars, but worse. PRT denied.

[@juanlu3958]

@@KD10ConquerorPrt is better than any other stupid transit system,only fool cant understand the advantage of this kzbin.info/www/bejne/kJe2f3t_d5WSr8U

[@RiwenX]

Meanwhile, you go to jail if it's warmer than 19°C in your home. What a prefect dystopia Switzerland is becoming!

[@KD10Conqueror]

Yea yea... Energy saving

[@RiwenX]

@@KD10Conqueror Ceaușescu-eque authoritarian nightmare. Your kind would have defended that as well.

[@st-ex8506]

From where do you hold such ineptitude? I live in Switzerland, and our Federal authorities have indeed done a campaign to save energy, among which measures is a reduction of heating to 19°C. But this is a voluntary measure, with no penalty whatsoever if you don't respect it, much less a prison sentence. How can you believe such disinformation even one second and, worst, spread it? It's beyond me! Either you are of bad faith... or you are no able to recognize FUD!

[@holzheimwerker1679]

What a nonsense, No one will go to jail here if the apartment is heated above 19 degrees.

[@markusstudeli2997]

Keep drinking your Fox-News CoolAid. No one is going to jail for heating above 19° in Switzerland.

[@chcazzvuoi]

horrible pronunciation

[@bingo737]

Maaan, your english is bad! Practice, practice, practice!

[@MrSaemichlaus]

Don't take to the comments simply to tell somebody they are doing a bad job, there's absolutely no need to do so. I didn't have any trouble understanding the narration, there's nothing left to wish for. You're being entertained for free, if you don't like that, you can just go somewhere else.

[@Cl0ckcl0ck]

The more correct way of saying that is 'your English is poor'. Practice, practice, practice!

[@Argenswiss]

I must've crossed the Gotthard at least 15 times since I moved to Switzerland 3 weeks ago 😬😂

[@jasminadragicevic4241]

Great video

[@RailwaysExplained]

Thanks!

[@paxtoncargill4661]

And NYC can barely get a tunnel under a river

[@Cl0ckcl0ck]

That's pure politics and NIMBY stuff. Everyone looking out for number 1.....

[@RoSi4You]

Good on you Switzerland. Here in Slovakia, my town of Prievidza they are constructing a ring road for 20 years. They built useless 1/4 of it and that's it. Shame on them.

[@matjazwalland903]

sorry i lost interest in the story when the commercials started. I would rather see that youtube has a counter for commercials and we can collect them before looking for things that interest us at the moment. I'm sorry!

[@anitamore8388]

The speaker has a turn-off voice which makes this otherwise very interesting and informative video painful to listen to

[@michaellaudahn]

After previous public corrections I tried hard not to correct you anymore .) , but your 'Lutschberg' pronunciation (for Lötschberg) is just too much - sorry. And you seem to be aware of it yourself, judged by the way how you 'cheat yourself past it' each time. Unfortunately, WP don't indicate the pronunciation in their article, and right now I can't think of any english word whose sound would come near - except maybe an older pronunciation of a short u (like in cut) which would come near to a short/open german ö. Also the sound like fx in hurt could come near, but you would have to shorten it just as is the german syllable. Do understand me, I have a positive attitude towards you and your work and am not trying to make fun of you! Did this help?

[@peterholzer4481]

Word, hurt, bird ... The vowel is common enough in English, but it always occurs before an "r" and sort of glides into that. For the German vowel you have to get rid of the glide and just pronounce the first part.

[@michaellaudahn]

@@peterholzer4481 Right, but these are long yet (!) open sounds. (Of course, your mentioning of the ensuing r is very valid, too.) Converting them to closed while retaining the sound may be a problem for speakers possibly not used to this phenomenon (short > open, long > closed), that's why I hesitated mentioning hurt and used the old (like 1900) sound of fx cut first. YT could make it possible to paste IPA signs into their website, but this would probably make too much sense for standardophobe americans (or anglosaxons in general). Just see the bizarre America-only system that Ggl use to indicate pronunciation. And as many times as we inform them better, as many times they keep ignoring such advice. Our pollies would have to take up this issue with theirs, but they all are clearly pretty useless.

[@peterholzer4481]

@@michaellaudahn You are right that the vowels aren't quite the same. but speaking accent-free is obviously not the goal here. Getting reasonably close should be good enough. I'm also not convinced that a reference to a historic pronunciation is very useful: How many people know how cut was pronounced 120 years ago? I certainly don't (there are a few words of English origin in German which use an [œ] where one would expect an [ʌ], so I guess that might haven been a historic pronunciation, but it might also just be a mispronunciation).

[@michaellaudahn]

@@peterholzer4481 I agree with everyone of your thoughts. This is exactly what I meant. Maybe my wording was not always ideal. - And thanks for making me try if IPA signs can be umkopiert (c&p) into YT - to my surprise, it can be done. Maybe the ones I earlier saw were on JPG. Thus: The ö in Lötschberg is pronounced [œ] (short/open o umlaut sound), not [ʊ]

[@903lew]

@D R Bwah! Anyone with a reasonable grasp of Yiddish can do it! 😄