SWITZERLAND: Swiss Federal Railways has reintroduced a limited passenger service through the 57 km trans-Alpine Gotthard Base Tunnel.
The world’s longest railway tunnel was badly damaged when a freight train derailed on August 10, affecting 8 km of one of the two running bores, and one of the crossover caverns that link the two running lines.
SBB says it completed the removal of the last of the debris from the accident on September 24. This paves the way for the repair work to start in the accident zone; a detailed plan is expected to be agreed before the end of October, with the repairs themselves expected to last several months.
Meanwhile, freight trains are using the single available eastern running tube to bypass the worksite.
From September 29, SBB began running a single passenger train through the tunnel in each direction; over the course of the coming weeks, a handful more inter-city trains will be added to the working timetable. These will all run at weekends, exploiting the increased demand from passengers and a commensurate weakening of demand for freight paths. The passenger trains will be formed of double-deck rolling stock with capacity for up to 900 people.
SBB and the federal railway office BAV have also reviewed the safety and evacuation procedures for the tunnel prior to allowing passenger traffic to restart. Passengers are expected to reserve seats on the Gotthard route to prevent the risk of overcrowded trains passing through the tunnel, SBB says.
