First passenger trains to run through Gotthard from Friday

The Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) have found a solution to allow single passenger trains to travel through the still intact tube of the Gotthard Base Tunnel on the particularly popular weekends in autumn.

Starting on Friday, 29 September, one southbound train will travel through the base tunnel on Friday and one northbound train on Sunday, announced the SBB on Thursday.

During the next three peak autumn weekends, two additional southbound connections will be added on Saturday and one northbound connection on Sunday. This will increase the seating capacity. The travel time gained by the affected trains is 15 to 30 minutes.

The original journey times will not be achieved, however, because the trains will have to run at a reduced speed in the tunnel. The first passenger train through the Gotthard Base Tunnel will leave Zurich at 17.33 on Friday. The SBB recommends reserving a seat on the trains through the base tunnel. This will be possible from 6th October.

For the time being, passenger trains can only travel through the base tunnel at weekends. There is less freight traffic then, which is why there is free capacity. In addition, no repair work will be carried out in the damaged second tube – this was a prerequisite for the approval of the modified rescue concept by the Federal Office of Transport (BAV: Bundesamt für Verkehr).

It is still unclear, however, when the second tube, which was damaged after a goods train became derailed, can be used again.