According to Swiss Federal Railways (SBB), the western tube of the Gotthard Base Tunnel will be fully operational again from September 2nd. Test operations and trial runs are currently underway. SBB estimates the damage caused by the freight train derailment on August 10, 2023, at 150 million Swiss francs. Of this, approximately 140 million francs are insured.
During the test phase, runs with empty trains will be conducted to test the new facilities, particularly the track, and to verify the interaction of all systems. As part of the trial operation starting in mid-August, scheduled trains will once again run from south to north through the west tunnel.
In preparation for the planned recommissioning, SBB intends to submit comprehensive documentation of the work carried out, along with the required safety certificates, to the Federal Office of Transport (FOT).
Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) used the accident-related (partial) closure of the west tunnel following the derailment to bring forward numerous previously planned maintenance works. Plans for regular, multi-day maintenance windows have been underway for some time, independent of the derailment last August. During these periods, there will be diversions via the panoramic route, resulting in longer travel times.
The final report on the cause of the accident by the Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (SUST) is still pending. In an interim report, the SUST stated that a wheel disc fracture led to the derailment. SBB itself does not own any freight or passenger wagons with such wheelsets; however, these are used by other European freight wagon operators and also operate in Switzerland.
Due to the international use of the wheel type in question, measures at the European level are necessary, the Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (SUST) stated in an interim report. Following the publication of the SUST's interim report, the Federal Office of Transport (BAV) launched a call to action through the European railway authorities. This call urged all wagon owners in Europe who operate freight wagons with similar wheels to inspect them and, if necessary, take them out of service.
SBB has also conducted an internal analysis of the accident to prevent similar incidents in the future or to minimize their impact. This includes the early detection of necessary train maintenance using condition and image data, as well as the increased use of train monitoring systems. To detect potential derailments early, SBB is examining the possibility of installing trackside derailment detectors at the track switches in and before the Gotthard Base Tunnel.
Photos: SBB
Due to the time required for planning and installing such systems, as well as their complex integration into existing infrastructure, SBB anticipates that the aforementioned measures cannot be implemented immediately, but will be in the medium term.
As an additional measure that can be implemented immediately, the speed in the area of the two portal track changes before the Gotthard Base Tunnel will be temporarily reduced to 160 km/h once the tunnel is fully operational again. This speed reduction will not affect connections in Ticino and German-speaking Switzerland, but will nevertheless result in less buffer time.
