Gotthard Base Tunnel Fully Operational Again

As of September 2, 2024, the Gotthard Base Tunnel is once again fully open to rail traffic
Credit/Quellet: SBB

The damage caused by the derailment of the freight train in the Gotthard Base Tunnel was serious. SBB currently estimates the amount of damage, including loss of earnings, at around 150 million swiss francs. Around 140 million swiss francs thereof are likely to be insured. The estimation accuracy for both figures is +/- 20 percent.

Due to the extent of the damage, it took around one and a half months to clear the tunnel. During the repair work, around seven kilometers of the roadway had to be completely renewed, i.e. the rails were replaced, as were over 20 000 sleeper blocks and the concrete layer in which they are cast. In addition, the track change gate, two high-speed switches and many other safety and operationally relevant system components were replaced.

Risk Mitigation Measures at European Level and at SBB

According to the interim report of the Swiss Accident Investigation Board STSB, a broken wheel disk caused the derailment of the freight train in the Gotthard Base Tunnel. As freight transport is an international business, measures are needed at European level. In SBB's view, the recently published final report of the responsible task force (Joint Network Secretariat Taskforce Broken Wheel GBT) contains the necessary measures at European level to reduce the risk of further wheel breakages of a similar nature.

SBB is also implementing risk-mitigating measures in the short and medium term. In the short term, a maximum speed of 160 km/h applies in the area of the two portal lane changes in front of the Gotthard Base Tunnel in order to effectively reduce the impact of a similar, very unlikely event in this section. In the medium term, SBB is also planning to install trackside derailment detectors at the lane changes in and in front of the base tunnel and is examining the increased and optimized use of train control equipment.