The Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) have announced that repair and maintenance works are ongoing in the western tube of the Gotthard Base Tunnel.
A lane change system is being installed at Faido station, one of the two technical stations in the tunnel. This installation, scheduled to last six weeks from the end of May, should be completed by July.
Following this, work will focus on the tunnel’s technical equipment, including fire detectors and lighting. Additionally, the pipe will be cleaned, inspected, technically approved, and subjected to test drives.
“SBB expects a full restart of the tunnel in September 2024,” stated Swiss Federal Railways.
Starting in September, trains from Switzerland to Bologna, Genoa, and Milan, as well as the trinational train from Frankfurt to Zurich and Milan, will resume operations at the tunnel, which at 57 km long, is the longest such tunnel in the world.
In August 2023, a freight train derailed in the base tunnel, causing significant damage.
Repair works have been ongoing since October 2023, including the replacement of 7 km of track substructure, rails, concrete, and 20,000 railway sleepers. Two switches at Faido station were also replaced.
By the time the tunnel reopens, its renovation will haven taken nearly a year in total.
Photo: Zacharie Grossen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons