Defective Train Caused Derailment in Base Tunnel
Published: Friday, Aug 11th 2023, 15:00
Updated At: Friday, Oct 13th 2023, 14:12
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A train derailed in the Gotthard Base Tunnel, causing the tunnel to be closed for several days. According to the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB), the accident was caused by a defective wagon. The derailment occurred at the Faido Multifunctional Station, where there are switches and passages that allow trains to switch from one tunnel to the other. The SBB believes that the defective wagon damaged the switch, causing the following wagons to drift off the track at a speed of 100 km/h. This caused severe damage to the switch gate, which separates the two tunnel tubes. It will take weeks to replace the gate, and until then, both tubes will remain closed. The train was travelling from Italy to Germany and had been checked for any problems with the wheels or cargo shortly before entering the tunnel. The accident happened at a particularly inconvenient time, as the end of the holidays and the Street Parade in Zurich will cause a lot of traffic. The SBB has rerouted passenger trains over the Gotthard mountain route, which will add an extra hour to the journey. Goods trains will be rerouted over the Lötschberg route, but only one extra train per hour can be accommodated. The Brenner route is not available due to construction work. The SBB may benefit from the Italian holiday of Ferragosto, which is expected to be a quiet week for goods traffic.nnnnnnnn
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