More passenger trains planned through the Gotthard tunnel
Following the serious train accident in the world's longest railroad tunnel under the Gotthard massif, the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) want to restart passenger services soon, at least at weekends. From December 10, 31 passenger trains will be allowed to travel through the tunnel from Friday to Sunday. On the other days, it will be reserved for freight traffic due to ongoing repair work. SBB strongly recommends reserving seats, which is otherwise unusual in Switzerland. Overcrowded trains are not allowed to travel through the Gotthard Base Tunnel for safety reasons. The SBB concept still has to be approved by the Federal Office of Transport.
On August 10, a freight train derailed in the tunnel. No one was injured, but considerable damage was caused. According to initial investigations, the cause of the accident involving two locomotives and 30 freight wagons was a broken wheel due to material fatigue. The recovery of the train parts took weeks. According to SBB, around eight kilometers of track and 20,000 sleepers had to be replaced. Since then, only the east tunnel can be used. SBB does not expect the line to be fully operational again until September 2024. Before the accident, passenger trains ran through the tunnel every half hour.
Despite the increase in planned traffic through the Gotthard tunnel due to additional passenger trains, the SBB urges caution to prevent any incidents related to overcrowding, given the recent railroad accident. Tourists should consider alternative modes of transportation, such as road trips, during the weekdays, as rail transportation through the tunnel will be limited to freight traffic due to ongoing repairs.
Source: www.dpa.com
