Europe tightens freight wagon rules after Gotthard rail accident

The accident in August 2023 was caused by a broken wheel. It resulted in damage costing CHF150 million and the closure of one of the tunnel tubes for over a year. Keystone-SDA

Three years after the Gotthard Base Tunnel accident, European authorities and the rail industry have agreed to tighten safety checks for freight wagons, requiring more frequent inspections. The new rules were prompted by a Swiss initiative.

“This shows that in Switzerland we can also set standards in Europe,” Christa Hostettler, director of the Federal Office of Transport, told Swiss public television on Friday. In future, freight wagons are to be inspected every 50,000 to 300,000 kilometres, depending on the type of wheel. Until now, the inspection interval has been 660,000 kilometres.

Hostettler announced that Switzerland would adopt the new rules. But she expects industry to make the transition immediately, rather than from 2028, as originally planned.

Following an enquiry from the Keystone-SDA news agency, the transport office confirmed that it is clarifying how the European solution can be made binding for Switzerland through an administrative order. This also involves clarifying how to deal with the order regarding the previous measures, which is pending before the Federal Administrative Court following appeals by wagon owners.

The new rules are set out in the European Railway Agency’s (ERA) fifth report on the accident in the Gotthard Tunnel, which was published last week. According to the Federal Office of Transport, these are recommendations: “The supervisory authorities of the individual countries are responsible for implementation.”

According to the SRF news report on Friday, the new European standards stem from pressure exerted by Switzerland. Following the accident in the Gotthard Base Tunnel three years ago caused by a broken wheel, Switzerland was the only country to introduce stricter regulations.

A success for Switzerland

Although this order has been blocked in court following complaints from wagon owners, Switzerland has prevailed on the substance of the matter, said Hostettler. “It is a success that we have prevailed on the substance here. And it was worth our while to remain steadfast when necessary,” she said.

The Association of Shippers’ reacted positively to the agreement. Josef Dittli, the association’s president who is also a Swiss senator, described the new rules as a “good solution”. The association had always advocated for a European solution. “Switzerland cannot manage this on its own,” he said.

The question of liability remains unresolved, as this is central to rail safety. “Only if we know who bears responsibility can we be sure that the relevant parties will actually implement these measures,” said Hostettler. The transport office is in contact with the relevant parties on this matter, it confirmed.

The accident in August 2023 was caused by a broken wheel. It resulted in damage costing CHF150 million ($184 million) and the closure of one of the tunnel tubes for over a year.

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Translated from German, reviewed by an English Department journalist.