Working in the Gotthard Base Tunnel Will Take Several More Months
Published: Wednesday, Aug 16th 2023, 17:40
Aktualisiert am: Freitag, 13. Oktober 2023, 14:12
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The damage in the Gotthard Base Tunnel is greater than previously assumed. Repairs after the derailment of a freight train will take several months, according to the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB). Freight traffic is expected to resume on August 23, while passenger traffic will continue to be diverted via the panoramic route. Priority will be given to the commissioning of the undamaged east tube, followed by the damaged west tube. It is expected that both tunnel tubes will be able to be used without restrictions until early 2024. There are currently 16 derailed and partially severely damaged freight wagons in the tunnel. The damage to the infrastructure extends over eight kilometers, where rails and around 20,000 concrete sleepers must be replaced. The accident site resembles a debris field, according to SBB Infrastructure Manager Rudolf Büchi. The derailed freight train consisted of 30 wagons from five different destinations in Italy, according to Isabelle Betschart Kühne, SBB Cargo's production manager. They were checked upon arrival in Chiasso and no irregularities were found. The wagons were supposed to go from Italy to Germany. SBB Cargo was responsible for the section from Chiasso to Basel. The owners of the derailed wagons are still unclear. No hazardous goods were found in the damaged wagons. The cause of the accident is still unknown and the Swiss Safety Investigation Board (SUST) is still investigating. SBB Cargo can currently carry a significant part of the domestic freight traffic via the panoramic route. This includes express trains in wagonload traffic at night and a large part of the connections during the day. SBB Cargo International, on the other hand, is currently diverting its combined transit traffic to the detour via the Lötschberg - this affects about 30 percent of its freight volume. While freight trains are expected to run through the tunnel again from August 23, passenger trains will continue to be diverted via the panoramic route for the time being. The journey will therefore take an hour longer, up to two hours for international connections. There are no discounts for affected customers, but SBB is being accommodating if someone wants to cancel an international trip. The closure of the tunnel has already had a negative impact on the tourism sector in Ticino. The closure of the tunnel for several months could have negative consequences for the Ticino economy. The accident also shows how vulnerable the connections of Ticino to the rest of Switzerland are.nnnnnnnnnn
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