Trains began running between Zermatt and the lower-lying village of Täsch at 17:00 on Wednesday evening. From Täsch to Visp the journey is being completed by replacement buses.
The line had previously been blocked by a rockfall that occurred on Saturday night. Helicopter had been the only means of accessing the touristic village at the foot of the Matterhorn.
Stranded travellers were ferried out in groups of four according to a lottery system. Some 1,300 people were flown in or out by Wednesday morning, according to local tourist authorities.
With travel plans severely disrupted, some visitors have had to reschedule long-haul flights. Some complained online that Swiss International Air Lines, for one, was not reimbursing flights missed due to the weather.
Contacted by swissinfo.ch, the airline clarified its policy: “Special arrangements or so called waiver policies are generally issued in case of massive irregularities with a direct impact on the flight operations (e.g. storm, volcano eruption, snow at airport) which is not given in this case”.
Elsewhere in Switzerland as of Wednesday evening, following a day of higher temperatures and clear skies, many areas were reported to be returning to normal, although the threat of rivers overflowing remains.
Heavy snowfall and rain since last weekend have caused waves of disruption across the country. It is the third time this month that road and rail links in parts of the Alps have been temporarily cut.
More snow and rain is expected on Friday, according to the weather services.
More
More
Massive Swiss snowfall levels buck the trend
This content was published on
Many Swiss resort towns have recently seen near-record snow levels. But it’s an outlier in a years-long trend of declining snowfall totals.
Uri voters clear path for hotel and marina complex in central Switzerland
This content was published on
Voters in canton Uri in central Switzerland have rejected a Green Party initiative aimed at regulating the development of the lakeside site in Isleten.
Valais voters reject plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040
This content was published on
Voters in canton Valais in southern Switzerland have turned down a proposal for the region to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040.
Swiss central banker wants to boost equity to head off risks
This content was published on
Equity levels at the Swiss National Bank (SNB) are much too low for the risks its large balance sheet poses, according to Martin Schlegel.
Beer sales in Switzerland watered down by bad weather
This content was published on
The past brewing year fell through in Switzerland, partly due to the bad weather. Beer sales shrank again. For the first time, per capita consumption fell below the 50 liter mark.
This content was published on
The north-south Gotthard road tunnel in southern Switzerland is currently closed due to a mudslide that hit the A2 motorway on Monday.
This content was published on
In St-Ursanne in canton Jura, days of heavy rain have caused the River Doubs to break its banks and flood parts of the mediaeval town.
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.