Following the derailment of a freight train last August, operations through the world's longest railway tunnel (57 km), one of the most important links between Northern and Southern Europe, have now fully resumed. Freight traffic once again has increased its capacity.

“The Gotthard Base Tunnel not only connects German-speaking Switzerland and Ticino, but also the north and south of the continent and is central to mobility and the flow of goods in Europe. It can now fully resume this important role,” said Federal Councillor Albert Rösti at a press conference.
Travelers can once again reach Ticino and German-speaking Switzerland an hour faster and vice versa – now every half hour throughout the day. Furthermore, all direct connections to Italy are running again: in addition to Milan and Venice, Genoa and Bologna are once again directly accessible from Switzerland. The trinational connection from Frankfurt to Milan is also running again; the Giruno train now operates on this route and runs via Zurich instead of Lucerne. All freight trains are once again using the base tunnel. As a result, all freight customers benefit from a travel time saving of 60 to 75 minutes. Until recently, up to 20 percent of freight trains were still using the scenic route.

Photos: SBB

“We are delighted that our customers can once again travel faster between German-speaking Switzerland and Ticino and benefit from even more frequent service. On behalf of SBB, I thank them, as well as our freight customers, for their patience and understanding over the past 13 months. Numerous employees have worked under difficult conditions – day and night,” said SBB CEO Vincent Ducrot.
Just twelve days after the derailment, the first freight trains were running again through the undamaged eastern tunnel, and less than two months later, some passenger trains were also able to resume service. With the reopening of the intact northern third of the western tunnel in March 2024, an early morning train for commuters from Ticino was added on weekdays.

“We thank SBB for ensuring Ticino’s connection to the rest of Switzerland during the restrictions. Today we are particularly pleased because commuters and students can once again reach German-speaking Switzerland more quickly, and travel to Ticino is also faster and easier for tourists. This is a crucial connection for the canton of Ticino and its economy,” said Christian Vitta, President of the Ticino cantonal government.

www.sbb.ch