SWISS Federal Railways (SBB) plans to resume normal passenger services through the Gotthard Base Tunnel at weekends with the timetable change on December 10, despite its recent announcement that repairs to the damaged western bore will take until September 2024 to complete.
From December 10, there will be a total of 31 passenger trains running through the eastern bore from Friday to Sunday; 17 operating from north to south and 14 from south to north.
Freight services during the week will also be increased, offering full access to freight trains through the Gotthard Base Tunnel from Monday to Thursday. At weekends, freight services will have to share the route with passenger trains.
SBB’s plans are subject to approval by the Swiss Federal Office of Transport (OFT).
The western bore of the 57km Gotthard Base Tunnel was severely damaged on August 10 when a freight train derailed due to a cracked wheel. Earlier this month, it was found that the damage was much more extensive than previously thought, and that repairs would take the best part of a year.
Nevertheless, following “careful consideration” in cooperation with passenger and freight operators, as well as considering the needs of the ongoing repair programme, SBB has now found it possible to resume services during the days of the week with the largest demand. Thus, at weekends, SBB will operate its passenger services as it did before the accident.
SBB plans to continue doing so until “before Easter,” and will provide an update on operations during the busy Easter-Ascension Day-Pentecost season during the first quarter next year.
Opened in 2016, the Gotthard Base Tunnel is the longest and deepest railway tunnel in the world, and became the third tunnel to connect Switzerland’s southernmost canton of Ticino with the rest of the country. It is also important link in the freight corridor between Rotterdam and Genoa.
