Gotthard Base Tunnel to fully resume service in September 2024
The damage caused by the freight train accident in the Gotthard Base Tunnel on August 10 was “much greater than expected”, estimated at CHF100 million-130 million. A normal rail service will not resume before September 2024.
“The railway line must be completely replaced over 7 km,” Swiss Federal Railways SBB/CFF said on Thursday. The repair work “will take much longer than expected.”
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SBB/CFF had initially hoped to complete repair work by the end of this year. But after clearing the damaged freight trains and track, the company says it will have to wait until September 2024 for passenger and freight trains to be able to run again without restrictions.
Total damage to the tunnel and rail infrastructure is estimated at CHF100million-130 million, including loss of income. SBB/CFF says it is insured for this kind of event.
The company is looking at how to speed up the work. Goods traffic was able to gradually resume in the eastern tube of the tunnel, which remained intact, on August 23. And since September 30, certain passenger trains have circulated in the base tunnel – the longest in the world – at reduced speed.
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As soon as the timetable changes on December 10, the SBB/CFF intends to run more faster passenger trains in the tunnel. Around 80 SBB/CFF workers and third-party companies are working around the clock to complete the repairs.
Very restrictive
The company says repairing just parts of the track would be insufficient. It is necessary to change track along the entire damaged section, as well as over 20,000 half-sleepers, the concrete slabs in which they are cast, and other equipment and infrastructure.
The wagon that derailed in the west tube of the Gotthard Base Tunnel belonged to a company from Zug. A fragment of a wheel disc broke about ten kilometres after entering the tunnel. The wheel was knocked out of alignment, and a fragment broke off 17 km after entering the tunnel, destroying a switch near Faido in canton Ticino and causing the derailment of 16 freight wagons.
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