Closure of the Gotthard Base Tunnel lifted after vehicle fire
Published: Monday, Jan 29th 2024, 15:10
Updated At: Tuesday, Jan 30th 2024, 00:59
Back to Live Feed
Trains have been able to run normally again in the Gotthard Base Tunnel since early Monday afternoon. The tunnel had been closed in the morning due to a security company vehicle catching fire. Ten people had to be taken to hospital due to smoke inhalation.
The car caught fire shortly after 8 a.m. on Monday morning in a side tunnel of the Gotthard Base Tunnel near Faido. The security company whose car caught fire was carrying out access controls on the construction site in the Gotthard Base Tunnel, explained an SBB media spokeswoman at the request of the Keystone-SDA news agency.
Due to the fire, 29 workers were evacuated by a fire and rescue train. Ten of them had to be taken to hospital due to smoke inhalation.
Rail traffic in the Gotthard Base Tunnel was interrupted between 8 am and 2 pm on Monday. According to the Ticino cantonal police, the cause of the fire is still unclear.
Last August, a freight train derailed in the Gotthard Base Tunnel. Since then, most passenger trains have been running on the old mountain route, while freight trains have been routed through the undamaged east tunnel. The west tunnel is expected to remain closed to rail traffic until next September due to serious damage and the necessary repair work.
©Keystone/SDA
English 
German 
French 
Spanish 
Arabic