Gotthard Base Tunnel had been closed for freight and passenger traffic since the derailment of a train. Initially Swiss Federal Railway company SBB said they were assessing the situation and that the tunnel would remain closed "at least until" 16 August. But now it has become apparent that the damage is far more serious than that and we will have to wait for months for this important rail traffic artery to fully open again.

The good news is; only the western tube where the train derailment has occurred remains blocked. Freight transport albeit in reduced capacity will start in the undamaged eastern tube as early as August 23. Passengers will have to waif early 2024 to be able to travel via the Gotthard Base Tunnel, but the alternative is not bad with the panoramic railway over the mountains. If you are planning to travel in that part of Switzerland, be quick to book very quickly. Capacity on the panoramic railway is very limited.

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Repair of Gotthard base tunnel will take several months

The damage after the accident in the west tube is significantly larger than initially estimated. The repair work is complex and will take several months. The commissioning of the undamaged eastern tube is currently a priority. Freight transport can probably be used again from August 23, 2023. Traffic traffic must be redirected via the panoramic route until further notice. Together with the Federal Office of Transport, the SBB is looking for solutions so that travel trains can also ride through the eastern tube as soon as possible.

Update August 16, 2023, 3:30 p.m.

SBB CEO Vincent Ducrot today expressed itself in front of the media on the effects of the accident: «The Gotthard base tunnel is one of the safest in the world. We very much affect that such an accident could still happen. Fortunately, there were no injuries, but there was great damage to property. » The SBB is aware that the effects of the accident would bring great inconvenience for travelers and freight transport customers: «We would like to apologize and ask for understanding. The teams used are doing everything possible to ensure that safe rail traffic is possible again as soon as possible by the Gotthard base tunnel. »

Clearing work at the scene of the accident has started

The examination authorities have released the scene of the accident in the western tube of the Gotthard base tunnel. The SBB can now start with the extensive clean -up work. 16 derailed and sometimes badly damaged freight wagons are still in the tunnel.

After an in -depth investigation, it was shown that the extent of the damage is significantly larger than initial estimates. A total of around 8 kilometers of tracks and 20,000 concrete sleepers have to be replaced. The track bed is badly damaged in the area of changing lanes. It will take several months before all damaged parts of the rail systems are replaced. The SBB currently assumes that in early 2024 both tunnel tubes are expected to be again available for rail traffic.

The SBB works with high pressure to ensure that the undamaged eastern tube can be used as soon as possible by freight transport. To this end, the damaged, permanently installed gear gate is temporarily replaced by a mobile gate that is normally used for maintenance work. In addition, the signal box monitoring must be restored when changing lanes.

The heavily damaged gear gate is a special agreement and must be replaced. The gate grants fire protection in regular operation and ensures the separation of the air circulation between the two tunnel tubes.

From August 23, freight transport can run in a single lane through base tunnel

The provisional gate enables the use of the undamaged eastern tube for freight transport from August 23, 2023. However, freight trains via the Gotthard panorama and via the Lötschberg-Simplon axis will continue to be redirected so that all goods can be promoted.

The current situation in freight traffic: SBB Cargo can handle a large part of the internal goods transport via the panoramic route. This includes the express trains in the car loading overnight and a large part of the daily connections. Between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m., the full capacity of the panoramic route for freight transport is available, between 5 and 11 p.m. one route per hour and direction. This guarantees the supply and disposal in Ticino and the state care.

However, only isolated transit and import/export traffic can be guided via the panoramic route. Since the rolling material in combined transit traffic is not suitable for the panoramic route, SBB Cargo uses the capacity for internal goods. SBB Cargo International is currently using the alternative route via Lötschberg for around 30 percent of its goods volume for combined transit traffic. Travel trains run over the panoramic route until further notice

Personal trains have been running over the panoramic route since the Gotthard base tunnel was blocked. The SBB, together with the Federal Office of Transport (BAV), is checked whether some of the travel trains such as freight transport can drive the eastern tube in single -track operation. In unrestricted regular operation, travelers are evacuated over the other tunnel tube in an emergency. This would only be possible to a limited extent during repair work in the west tube. Together with the BAV, the SBB is looking for safe solutions for travelers, so that travel trains can run through the base tunnel as soon as possible. A temporal forecast is not possible.

The travel trains will be redirected via the panoramic route until further notice. The travel time is extended by 60 minutes in national traffic, between 60 and 120 minutes in international traffic. Double -stick trains cannot drive on the panoramic route and are replaced by Giruno and ICN and EWIV. Additional trains at peak times cannot run. The Treno Gottardo of the SOB continues to run. The one -story features have less capacity than the double -story. Up to 30 percent fewer seats are available on weekends. The capacity is slightly restricted on working days.

In international travel, Chiasso has to be changed. Only the trains from and to Genoa and Venice run directly.

The SBB checks whether the seat capacity increases via the Gotthard panoramic route and whether additional direct international connections can be offered. Investigation of the cause of the accident is on the go

The accident train consisted of 30 freight cars from five departure locations in Italy. The cars were checked on arrival in Chiasso. After the takeover, SBB Cargo has put together the cars into a new train. This also includes a company and technical car and train control. No irregularities were found during these controls.

In south, an oncoming train driver reported smoke on the later accident. During the subsequent control in Bellinzona, a stuck brake was discovered and solved on a freight car. It was not the car, which is the first to be derailed. After the fault correction, the train was released for the onward journey. The train passed the automatic control devices between Bellinzona and the tunnel. These did not trigger an alarm. The course and cause of the accident are clarified by the Swiss Security Investigation Center Sust and the public prosecutor's office of the canton of Ticino.

https://news.sbb.ch/medien/artikel/124073/bahnverkehr-im-gotthard-basistunnel-unterbrochen

photograph is taken from SBB media release.