An Italian train makes its way on the north entrance of the brand new Gotthard Base Tunnel, the world’s longest train tunnel, on the eve of its opening ceremony on May 31, 2016 in Erstfeld.
Fabrice Coffrini | Afp | Getty Images
Swiss rail authorities said repairs to the Gotthard Base Tunnel, the world’s deepest traffic tunnel and longest of its kind, will take several months after the extent of the damage from a recent freight service derailment was found to be “significantly greater” than initially estimated.
National railway operator SBB said Wednesday that 16 cars had jumped the tracks in last Thursday’s derailment and a few badly damaged freight cars remain stuck contained in the 57.1 kilometer (35.5 mile) long tunnel.
Nobody was injured within the accident, but investigations have since shown that the damage within the west tube was considerable. The SBB estimated it should take several months to switch all of the damaged parts of the railway system.
The operator currently assumes that each tunnel tubes can be available again for all rail traffic “to a limited extent” initially of next 12 months, while the undamaged east tunnel tube should find a way to operate from Aug. 23 for freight traffic.
It signifies that rail passengers traveling between north and southernmost Switzerland can be forced to take a more scenic route over the approaching months.
The Gotthard Base Tunnel is a high-speed railway route through the Swiss Alps. The project, which opened to enormous fanfare in 2016, took 17 years to finish and price an estimated $12 billion.
Recognized as a feat of engineering and hailed as a “huge achievement,” the GBT is an important thoroughfare for goods and cargo. The tunnel was created to extend local transport capability through the Alpine barrier, ease road traffic and reduce air pollution.
“The Gotthard Base Tunnel is considered one of the safest on the planet. The undeniable fact that such an accident could still occur hits us hard. Luckily there have been no injuries, but there was loads of property damage,” SBB CEO Vincent Ducrot told reporters on Wednesday, in keeping with a Google translation.
“We would love to apologize for this and ask to your understanding,” Ducrot said. “The teams deployed are doing every little thing they’ll to be certain that secure rail traffic through the Gotthard Base Tunnel is feasible again as quickly as possible.”
The SBB said it was aware the consequences of the incident would cause “great inconvenience” for rail passengers and freight customers.
