First passenger train safely through Gotthard tunnel
Swiss Federal Railways has resumed passenger traffic in the Gotthard Base Tunnel seven weeks after a devastating freight train derailment.
A passenger train drove into the tunnel on Friday evening, as a photographer from the Keystone-SDA news agency reported.
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Why is the Gotthard Base Tunnel so important?
The train en route to Ticino left Zurich shortly after 5:30pm. The Federal Office of Transport had previously granted approval.
On August 10, a freight train derailed in the western tube of the world’s longest rail tunnel because a wagon wheel broke. There was immense material damage to the tunnel. The train driver remained uninjured.
The repairs are expected to take months. Eight kilometres of track and 20,000 sleepers will be replaced.
Freight traffic resumed in the undamaged eastern tube on August 23. Due to the rescue concept, no passenger trains are allowed to run through the eastern tube during the repair work.
According to the SBB, weekend trips are possible because there are fewer freight trains on the road then. In addition, work in the west tube will then come to a halt.
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