photo: Poudou99 / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-3.0/Entrance and access to the Mont Cenis rail tunnel, French side - Modane, Savoie, France
The France-Italy railway line through the Maurienne Valley, which has been out of service for almost a year due to a massive landslide, will not reopen until the first quarter of 2025.
The landslide, the largest in 45 years on a railway line, halted both passenger and freight trains between the two countries. Despite the efforts of SNCF and the Savoie Department, the reopening timeline has been extended from autumn 2024 to early 2025.
The delay is mainly due to the complex process of clearing and securing the Praz Cliff. Authorities have stated, "Teams of rope access technicians are working in shifts 7 days a week, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m." They added, "More than 20 technicians are working simultaneously at heights exceeding 200 meters, with the constant risk of rocks or boulders falling below." The discovery of extensive unstable cavities in the central area of the slope has further complicated the situation, requiring additional purging, anchoring, and fencing work. Only after the mountain section is fully secured can work on restoring the railway infrastructure begin.
This extended closure has significant implications for international traffic and local communities in the Maurienne region. Towns like Modane will lack passenger train service through the upcoming holiday seasons, relying on bus services from Saint-Michel de Maurienne.
Source: La Transalpine Lyon-Turin; trans.info
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