On August 10, 2023, a freight train derailed in the west tube of the Gotthard Base Tunnel. There was major property damage. The repair work will take several months. Freight traffic has been able to run through the undamaged east tube again since August 23. SBB regularly informs the media about the status of the work.

Update September 6, 2023, 1:30 p.m

The complex clearance and rescue work at the accident site in the west tube is expected to last until the end of September. Work is carried out in two shifts, seven days a week. 22 wagons and two locomotives have already been removed from the tunnel. There are currently 8 cars in the tunnel. Several wagons were so badly damaged that they had to be dismantled in the tunnel before they could be transported away. The cars are recovered via the south portal, which is around 15 kilometers from the scene of the accident. For this purpose, a temporary track had to be built in places.

In parallel to this work, the SBB is carrying out a detailed assessment of the damage caused. This means that repair work on the damaged railway facilities can begin immediately after the end of the clearance and rescue work at the end of September. As soon as SBB knows the precise nature of the damage, it can order the additional replacement material required. The SBB does have reserve material, but not in the quantity required for this extraordinary repair work. As previously communicated, it will take several months for the damage to be repaired.

SBB cannot yet provide any information about the extent of the damage. She will inform you about this in due course.
Freight traffic rolls through base tunnels with restrictions

Since August 23rd, four freight trains have been able to run one after the other through the undamaged eastern tube. Four freight trains then follow from the opposite direction. Around 90 of the maximum possible 100 freight trains per day are currently running through the Gotthard Base Tunnel. An additional 15 to 20 freight trains a day run on the Gotthard Panorama route. SBB, together with its partners, is doing everything it can to further improve the situation for freight transport.

To ensure that traffic on the Gotthard axis is restricted as little as possible, the SBB has postponed or adjusted the timing of several construction sites planned for autumn.
Passenger trains offer enough seats

Passenger trains are still being rerouted via the Gotthard panoramic route and are therefore traveling an hour longer. The passenger trains currently offer enough seats and run on time with longer travel times. The online timetable has been adjusted until the timetable change in December. However, the SBB, together with the BAV, is working hard to find safe solutions for an adapted rescue concept so that passenger trains can also use the east tube as soon as possible. A time forecast is not possible. Safety is the top priority. As soon as a solution is found, the SBB will consider allowing passenger trains to travel through the tunnel on weekends, when demand is highest and there are significantly fewer freight trains on the road.

The 2024 annual timetable has been available on öv-info.ch since September 1st. The timetable data for the routes over the Gotthard have not yet been adjusted to the new situation, but correspond to the original planning.

English translation of SBB media information.

https://news.sbb.ch/fr/medias/article/124073/les-travaux-d-evacuation-dans-le-tunnel-de-base-du-saint-gothard-dureront-jusqu-a-fin-septembre