Gotthard Base Tunnel Fully Operational Again
As of September 2, 2024, the Gotthard Base Tunnel is once again fully open to rail traffic. Almost 13 months after the derailment of a freight train on 10 August 2023, the world‘s longest railroad tunnel (57 km) is now back to full capacity.
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.
