Train Drift Forces Shutdown Of The World's Longest Tunnel

A recent accident has partly shut down the 35-mile Gotthard Base Tunnel, slowing Swiss Alps train travel.

Swiss national rail operator SBB stated in a release last week that the world's longest tunnel had been closed after a cargo train had crossed the rails, derailing 16 wagons and damaged nearly five miles of railway tracks.

SBB has announced that the tunnel will be reopened on one section on August 23. However, passenger trains will have to travel along another route that runs up to two hours longer due to the restricted capacity until the beginning of 2024. According to the SBB announcement, "passenger trains will be redirected through the panoramic route." Travel times are doubled in national traffic and tripled in international traffic, respectively.

The Gotthard Base Tunnel, which took 17 years to build, finally opened to the public in 2016, connecting northern and southern Europe and becoming a Mecca for train fans eager to ride through the world's longest and deepest structure of its kind. Connecting trains travelling between Zurich, Switzerland, and Milan, Italy, the tunnel stretches from the northernmost town of Erstfeld to the southernmost town of Bodio. Furthermore, it links the Dutch city of Rotterdam to the Italian port of Genoa on the Mediterranean.

Following the derailment, the railway will be restricted to all except freight traffic while the company is still investigating whether or not passenger transportation could be conducted securely on a single track.

Since the scenic route over the Alps cannot accommodate double-decker trains, SBB has announced that passenger services would operate at lower capacities until the tunnel completely reopens. There wouldn't be any extra trains operating during rush hour.

SBB CEO Vincent Ducrot commented on the situation:

“The Gotthard Base Tunnel is one of the safest in the world. The fact that such an accident could still happen hits us hard. Luckily there were no injuries but there was a lot of property damage.

“We would like to apologize for this and ask for your understanding. The teams deployed are doing everything they can to ensure that safe rail traffic through the Gotthard Base tunnel is possible again as quickly as possible.”

Investigators in Switzerland are presently seeking to determine what caused the unfortunate incident.

 

source: edition.cnn.com