Car wrecks are dismantled in the Gotthard Base Tunnel.
Published: Wednesday, Sep 6th 2023, 12:40
Updated At: Friday, Oct 13th 2023, 14:12
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On August 10th, a freight train derailed in the Gotthard Base Tunnel, and it is expected to take until the end of September to fully recover the wreckage. It will take several months to repair the damage in the tunnel. The train was carrying 30 wagons, 16 of which derailed and one part of which crashed into a gate separating the two tunnel tubes. The damage is immense, and the wagons that remain in the tunnel are not driveable and must be dismantled. It is believed that the accident was caused by a broken wheel. In order to reach the accident site from the south portal, 15 kilometers away, the SBB had to lay a provisional track with wooden sleepers in the tunnel. The train was carrying Italian food products such as tomatoes, rice, and wine, and there are still boxes of pasta on the platform at the emergency stop. It is estimated that it will take until the beginning of 2024 to fully repair the damage and allow trains to pass through the west tube. In the meantime, freight trains are running through the east tube in convoys of four, and passenger trains are running through the old route and the summit tunnel. The SBB is working with the Federal Office of Transport to find a safe solution for a revised rescue concept so that passenger trains can also use the east tube as soon as possible. Safety is the top priority.nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
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