photo: news.sbb.ch/Italy's Freight Crisis Deepens with Extended Closure of Gotthard Base Tunnel
The recent derailment in the Gotthard Base Tunnel, the world's longest rail tunnel, has created significant challenges for rail traffic across Europe. The west tube of the tunnel remains closed due to extensive damage from a freight train derailment last August, leading to an extended timeline for repairs. Originally projected to be closed for a mere six days, the severity of the damage has forced Swiss authorities to adjust their expectations, pushing the potential reopening to summer 2024.
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This derailment is particularly impactful for Italy, a country heavily reliant on the Gotthard Base Tunnel as a primary link to Switzerland and broader central and northern Europe. While the east tube remains operational, it can only accommodate two-thirds of the usual rail traffic.
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Previously, the Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (STSB) has pinpointed the derailment's cause. A defective wheel, specifically a BA 390 type manufactured in 2008, had operated for an extensive 140,000 kilometers since its last servicing. This wheel, belonging to a wagon operated by SBB Cargo and owned by Transwaggon AB, had developed a crack which ultimately led to its catastrophic failure. The discovery has prompted calls for greater oversight and rigorous checks of similar wheelsets across Europe.
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