Railway transport's disruption - Trains persistently inhabit their scheduled tracks within the Gotthard Base Tunnel.
A year following a train mishap leading to a derailment, the Gotthard Base Tunnel in Switzerland sees unfettered vehicular movement once more. What's more, the service has expanded, as per Swiss Railways SBB's reports: Now, passenger trains traverse this 57-kilometer long tunnel tunnel at half-hour intervals, making it the world's longest railway tunnel.
The Frankfurt-Milan route is operational again, re-routed through Zurich instead of Lucerne. The Gotthard Base Tunnel plays a pivotal role in north-south travel through the Alps. According to Swiss Minister of Transport Albert Rösti, speaking at the tunnel's reopening in Pollegio, Ticino, "The Gotthard Base Tunnel (...) is instrumental to mobility and freight transport in Europe."
For several months prior, most passenger trains had been diverted over a mountain route due to repair work, adding an extra hour to the journey from German-speaking Switzerland to Ticino. Freight trains also faced restrictions.
16 freight carriages went awry
On August 10, 2023, a northbound freight train in the western tube of the tunnel experienced a derailment. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. Sixteen freight carriages derailed 17 kilometers after entering the tunnel.
The recovery process took several months, with 7 kilometers of track rebuilt. Investigators attributed the incident to a wheel hub fracture, resulting from unnoticed fatigue cracks in the metal during regular inspections. In response, Switzerland, along with international partners, has implemented stricter wheel hub inspections throughout Europe.
Preliminary assessments by SBB suggest the total damage, including losses in revenue, stands at approximately 150 million Swiss francs (around 160 million euros).
SBB's plans for Gotthard
The derailment impacted not only freight transport but also affected other modes of transportation reliant on the Gotthard Base Tunnel.
Post-recovery, SBB has emphasized the importance of maintaining the tunnel's integrity to avoid such incidents in the future, focusing on comprehensive inspections and maintenance protocols for various components, including wheel hubs.
