Derailment closes world's longest Rail Tunnel in Switzerland until 2024

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Oops that a lot of damage. Worse part is passenger may have to change train during the repair period. Not sure why but adding two hours to your trip might be enough to short turn equipment.

More wayside detectors needed. A dragging equipment detector would prevent some of this damage. It’s reported the wheel broke and the disc brakes keep it rolling.
 
Some information on the tunnel, mostly from wiki.
Opened: 1 June 2016
Line length: 57.09 km (35.5 mi)
Track length: : 57.104 km (35.5 mi) (east tunnel); 57.017 km (35.4 mi) (west tunnel);
Location: Switzerland (Uri, Grisons and Ticino)
Start: Erstfeld, canton of Uri (north, 460 m or 1,510 ft)
System: Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS)
Highest elevation: 549 m (1,801 ft)
Design Speed, 250 km/hr (in reality, a not to preclude this speed number)
Operating speed limits:
Passenger 200 km/hr normal, 230 km/km allowed if needed
Freight 100 km/hr

Note that there are two separate parallel bores, which leaves me baffled why they don't continue operations with a fewer number of trains and "fleeting" their operation.

Info on the accident:

" 8 kilometers of track and 20,000 concrete sleepers need to be replaced. The track bed is severely damaged in the area of the Faido cross-over." Not clear in anything I have seen so far, but the derailment may have been at a crossover track between the tunnels, which would explain closure of both tunnels.

While the article says sleepers, the picture appears to show Sonneville LVT block rail supports embedded in concrete, which to me makes sense. One picture I saw must have been taken during construction, as no overhead wire is visible.

Train was northbound from Italy. One article says 16 "wagons" of a 30 "wagon" train derailed. Another says 30 "wagons" derailed. All found say the cause was a broken wheel which ran for several km in a broken condition before derailing.
 
George Harris said:
" 8 kilometers of track and 20,000 concrete sleepers need to be replaced. The track bed is severely damaged in the area of the Faido cross-over." Not clear in anything I have seen so far, but the derailment may have been at a crossover track between the tunnels, which would explain closure of both tunnels.
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Indeed. There are massive steel doors installed at the crossovers so that the two bores can be kept separate in an emergency. Thee doors are normally kept closed and only opened when a train needs to use the crossover.

From what i understood the derailment has damaged such a steel door
 
George Harris said:
Note that there are two separate parallel bores, which leaves me baffled why they don't continue operations with a fewer number of trains and "fleeting" their operation.
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From the article, they are planning to continue to run freights using the single track, but detouring passenger trains. I guess the capacity would not be enough for both. Interesting that freight gets the priority here, something you would not expect in Europe.
 
AmtrakMaineiac said:
From the article, they are planning to continue to run freights using the single track, but detouring passenger trains. I guess the capacity would not be enough for both. Interesting that freight gets the priority here, something you would not expect in Europe.
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I imagine that it may be easier to re-route passengers than freight? No actual knowledge, but I don't get the feeling that EU freight is prioritised over passengers. Maybe the high volume of freight, versus passengers also makes it a sensible decision?
 
The original post article said that the freight train only had 30 cars, and the cargo spilled was mostly wine and lemonade. I wonder what it would have been like if this service was being run by an American class 1 railroad. (like "Crash Smash and eXplode" :) )
 
AmtrakMaineiac said:
From the article, they are planning to continue to run freights using the single track, but detouring passenger trains. I guess the capacity would not be enough for both. Interesting that freight gets the priority here, something you would not expect in Europe.
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One thinks freight trains are heavier and would require a helper to get over them hills. Additional you can hold up a freight train easily than a train full of passengers while waiting for a slot. So yes it’s interesting, but it may of been preplan this way.
 
Just-Thinking-51 said:
Oops that a lot of damage. Worse part is passenger may have to change train during the repair period. Not sure why but adding two hours to your trip might be enough to short turn equipment.
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Back to "only" one additional hour with trips cases where an extra transfer is required when the western tube reopens on 24 August.
west point said:
No replacement door? Critical item not in stock. Hope SBB orders 2.
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Well you're not supposed to have a train smash through that door in the first place though... and the door has already been replaced as of today :)
cirdan said:
From what i understood the derailment has damaged such a steel door
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Yes, part of the train that derailed on the switch went on the track that leads to the other tunnel, and smashed the closed door.
https://www.lfm.ch/wp-content/uploa...degats-dans-le-tunnel-du-gothard-archives.jpg
caravanman said:
I imagine that it may be easier to re-route passengers than freight? No actual knowledge, but I don't get the feeling that EU freight is prioritised over passengers. Maybe the high volume of freight, versus passengers also makes it a sensible decision?
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Nope: the only reason not to have passenger trains on the single track is that the second track is planned to be used to evacuate passengers in case of a stranded train or an emergency. With only one track available, they can't do that, therefore only freight trains are allowed until the second track is repaired.
 
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west point said:
Suspect all western Europe is looking for retired single level passenger equipment. 2 level equipment will not clear old Gotthard tunnel.
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According to all credible documentation that I can find so far the old tunnel vertical clearance is 7.1m, new tunnel vertical clearance is 5.2m.

If this is correct then I don't think anyone needs to go and find old rolling stock for anything. Whatever clears the new tunnel will clear the old tunnel too. Of course there a re a zillion other tunnels to clear too, but I suspect they would all clear 5.2m.
 
caravanman said:
I imagine that it may be easier to re-route passengers than freight? No actual knowledge, but I don't get the feeling that EU freight is prioritised over passengers. Maybe the high volume of freight, versus passengers also makes it a sensible decision?
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It may also be pure practicality. The old Gotthard route has some stiff gradients and tight curves. Back in the day when all trains went over the old route this was only possible because they piled on lots of extra locomotives for the heavier freights. Sometimes they would cut helper locomotives into the middle of a consist in addition. The new route has avoided that need and I don't think they keep sufficient spare locomotives around to be able too step them up at short notice like this. On passenger trains on the other hand the power is sufficient for the old route as most of the trains in use today were already in use when they did use the old route, so no modifications necessary.
 
MARC Rider said:
The original post article said that the freight train only had 30 cars, and the cargo spilled was mostly wine and lemonade. I wonder what it would have been like if this service was being run by an American class 1 railroad. (like "Crash Smash and eXplode" :) )
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They would not have built such a tunnel in this day and age, in another age, maybe...., so there is no fear whatsoever of them runing one of their freights through such a tunnel 🤣
 
Just-Thinking-51 said:
One thinks freight trains are heavier and would require a helper to get over them hills. Additional you can hold up a freight train easily than a train full of passengers while waiting for a slot. So yes it’s interesting, but it may of been preplan this way.
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Yes, the provision of a much flatter north-south route for freight was a significant part of the business case for the base tunnel (and the other one at Monte Ceneri).
 
cirdan said:
It may also be pure practicality. The old Gotthard route has some stiff gradients and tight curves. Back in the day when all trains went over the old route this was only possible because they piled on lots of extra locomotives for the heavier freights. Sometimes they would cut helper locomotives into the middle of a consist in addition. The new route has avoided that need and I don't think they keep sufficient spare locomotives around to be able too step them up at short notice like this. On passenger trains on the other hand the power is sufficient for the old route as most of the trains in use today were already in use when they did use the old route, so no modifications necessary.
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The tight curves on the south side include two spirals, of course. I made a special trip not long before the base tunnel opened. Here’s a - terrible, admittedly - shot of the route as we approach the tunnel from the north (heading to the right). There are no spirals on the north approach but you get some idea of the zig-zag from the photo. You can see the line one level below easily, but note (just) the line again in the distance on the extreme right.IMG_0447.jpeg
 
You can still travel through the original Gottherd Tunnel. You just have to take a local train. The line is open and is used quite a bit. Similarly you can still travel through the old Loetschberg Tunnel. And the Auto Ferry still runs through the old Loetschberg Tunnel.
 
JontyMort said:
The tight curves on the south side include two spirals, of course. I made a special trip not long before the base tunnel opened. Here’s a - terrible, admittedly - shot of the route as we approach the tunnel from the north (heading to the right). There are no spirals on the north approach but you get some idea of the zig-zag from the photo. You can see the line one level below easily, but note (just) the line again in the distance on the extreme right.View attachment 33629
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The fog. the general blurriness, the intense green and the closeness of the houses in the village make it look like someone's really really good model train layout!
 
John Santos said:
The fog. the general blurriness, the intense green and the closeness of the houses in the village make it look like someone's really really good model train layout!
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The Faido triple spiral tunnels between the south portal of the old tunnel and Bellinzona certainly look like someone's good model railroad built to fit a small room 😁
 
jis said:
According to all credible documentation that I can find so far the old tunnel vertical clearance is 7.1m, new tunnel vertical clearance is 5.2m.
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What on earth were these people thinking to build a new structure with such low clearances? You would think they would have built it to AT LEAST have no less vertical clearance than the old tunnel.
 
Definitely could be a reason, yes, the old tunnel opened 140 years ago, with steam-only operations for the next 40 years, before being electrified in the 1920s :)
 

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