The derailment of a freight train on 10 August 2023 caused much more serious damage than originally expected. 7 kilometres of the track need to be completely rebuilt. The repair work will therefore take much longer than originally expected. According to the current state of knowledge, the damage amounts to around CHF (also EUR) 100-130 million. Up to 80 SBB employees and contractors are working in the tunnel every day in difficult climatic conditions. Repairing only the many damaged areas would be tantamount to a patchwork solution. As a result, the rails along the entire line will have to be replaced, along with more than 20,000 sleeper blocks and the layer of concrete in which they are embedded. In addition, the damaged track switch, two high-speed switches and many other safety and operational system components will have to be replaced.
From the timetable change on 10 December 2023, SBB intends to increase the capacity for freight traffic during the week and for passenger traffic at weekends. From Monday to Thursday, all train paths through the Gotthard Base Tunnel will continue to be available for freight traffic, while from Friday to Sunday evenings, mixed freight and passenger trains will run through the tunnel. In this way, SBB aims to maximise the benefits for freight and passenger customers: In freight traffic, the necessary capacities for transit and domestic traffic can be ensured, while at the same time significantly more and faster passenger trains can run through the Gotthard Base Tunnel at weekends than at present. The exact concept is currently being finalised and is subject to safety approval by the Federal Office of Transport (FOT). SBB will announce the exact connections at the end of November 2023, after which they will be available in the online timetable.
Further information is expected in the first quarter of 2024. The Gotthard Base Tunnel is the longest railway tunnel in the world and a key north-south link for Switzerland and Europe.
