Construction work in Italy and Germany disrupts rail travel from Switzerland
If you plan to travel abroad by train from Switzerland during the summer holidays, expect delays. Several construction sites in northern Italy and southern Germany are causing diversions, delays, and cancellations.
Deutsche Bahn, among others, has launched a major renovation programme right at the beginning of the summer holidays, impacting international train services. For instance, the Mannheim-Frankfurt line has been closed since the start of the week until mid-December. Consequently, Eurocity connections between Switzerland and Hamburg have been suspended. According to the website of the Swiss Federal Railways, passengers can expect diversions and prolonged travel times.
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From August 3 to September 6, Intercity trains between Zurich and Stuttgart will also not be able to run continuously due to construction work. From August 9 to 30, the line between Rastatt and Baden-Baden will also be closed. Rail replacement buses will run.
Because of these closures and others on the German rail network, the direct day train from Switzerland to Amsterdam will be cancelled from mid-July, according to the Federal Railways. For journeys between mid-July and the timetable change in December 2024, it’s recommended to travel via Paris instead.
Construction work in Italy
There will also be restrictions on journeys via Brig to northern Italy. According to the Federal Railways, the service on the Simplon axis between Domodossola and Milan will even be “reduced for several years”. From Monday to Friday, there will be one fewer train in each direction between Basel-Bern-Milan and Geneva-Brig-Milan.
+ The Gotthard Pass, a national symbol
The Iselle-Domodossola line will also be closed from August 9 to August 30. Replacement buses will run. Here, too, the journey time will be longer and there will be fewer seats available.
Due to the derailment of a freight train in 2023, the Gotthard Base Tunnel is also still only accessible to a limited extent.
Translated from German by DeepL/sp
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