A freight train derailed in the Gotthard Base Tunnel on Thursday. The Swiss Federal Railways said the tunnel would remain closed until August 16 at the earliest.
This content was published on
2 minutes
ATS/sp
Português
pt
Descarrilamento de trem bloqueia o túnel da base do Gotardo por uma semana
Until then, train passengers between German-speaking Switzerland and Ticino will be diverted via the Gotthard panorama route, which takes about an hour longer.
Cancellations are also possible, the federal railways said. This could disrupt the traffic of people returning form their holidays and going to the Zurich Street Parade, which is taking place over the weekend.
The train derailed at a multifunction point in Faido, in canton Ticino. This multifunction station is one of two emergency stops of the tunnel.
Cantonal police announced that several wagons had derailed, some of which contained dangerous goods. However, these did not pose any danger and nobody was injured.
The federal railways said the causes of the derailment and the extent of the damage were still unknown. “The damage is considerable,” spokeswoman Roberta Trevisan told Swiss public broadcaster, RSI.
As far as passenger transport was concerned, she recommended travellers find out more before driving through the separate Gotthard Road Tunnel.
Experts will now examine the damage and check for possible damage to the roadway. The Swiss Safety Investigation Centre is also looking into the matter.
Popular Stories
More
Swiss Abroad
Ups and downs: Swiss drivers benefit from world’s only mobile bridge
Is your place of origin, your Heimatort, important to you?
Every Swiss citizen has a Heimatort, a place of origin, but many have never visited theirs. What’s your relationship with your Heimatort? What does it mean to you?
This content was published on
The train line between Täsch and Zermatt in southwestern Switzerland was interrupted again on Wednesday morning by another rockfall.
New counter-proposal launched for initiative to halve Swiss licence fee
This content was published on
Swiss companies are to be completely exempt from the licence fee until 2035. In return, households should continue to pay CHF335 ($380) a year, recommends a parliamentary committee.
Swiss carry out record number of civilian service days
This content was published on
Members of the civilian service completed a record 1.9 million days of service in 2024, a 3.5% increase on the previous year.
Initiative aims to curb lobbying in Swiss parliament
This content was published on
A new popular initiative wants to put the brakes on lobbying in federal politics. Members of the Federal Assembly with vested interests are the target.
Soda lakes: Swiss researchers discover clues to origin of life
This content was published on
Life on Earth could have originated four billion years ago in large soda lakes, according to researchers at the Swiss federal technology institute ETH Zurich.
This content was published on
Geneva Airport recorded a clear increase in both revenue and, in particular, profit in 2024. The airport has now almost fully recovered from the Covid slump.
This content was published on
At around 11:20am on Saturday the moon will begin to move in front of the sun in Switzerland. However, it will not completely cover it.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Could the Gotthard tunnel project help revive a Swiss village?
This content was published on
170 workers are being drafted in to Göschenen to build the new Gotthard road tunnel, but there's controversy over where they should stay.
This content was published on
A year has passed since Switzerland inaugurated the world’s longest railway tunnel. More underground marvels are in the pipeline.
‘Chinese trains could one day travel through the Gotthard’
This content was published on
Chinese trains are on track to be a major force in the European market, says a Swiss-based railway expert and consultant.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.