Rhine-Alpine News
08.07.2024
Gotthard Base Tunnel: full reopening planned September 2, 2024
Symbolic picture by Pvdv63on Pixabay
Gotthard Base Tunnel west tunnel repairs are underway. Test and trial operations follow. Plans are for rail operations via the world’s longest railway tunnel to restart on September 2, 2024. Zurich to Lugano will again be accessible in under two hours, with half-hourly service.
SBB has been restoring the Gotthard Base Tunnel at full speed since a goods train derailed on August 10, 2023. These are proceeding as expected. SBB expects to reopen the world’s longest railway tunnel on September 2, 2024. All trains will run again with the same travel times as before the disaster, saving customers one hour compared to the panoramic route diversion. They can again commute from Zurich to Lugano in under two hours.
SBB is testing and trialling the Gotthard Base Tunnel west tunnel before reopening it. This will thoroughly test all facilities and systems, as was done before the tunnel opened in 2016. Empty trains will be used to test the new infrastructure, especially the track, and all systems. From mid-August, Gotthard Base Tunnel south-to-north trains will again use the west tunnel as part of the trial operation. The panoramic route will also be used for individual trains redirected through the Gotthard Base Tunnel’s west tunnel.
SBB will submit detailed work documentation and safety certificates to the Federal Office of Transport for the planned reopening. The FOT must approve full recommissioning on September 2, 2024.
SBB has internally investigated the accident and is working to prevent or mitigate future instances. Early detection of train repair needs utilising condition and picture data and enhanced usage of train control technology can prevent mishaps. SBB may install derailment detectors on the trackside when changing lanes in and out of the Gotthard Base Tunnel to limit impact and detect derailments early. SBB assumes that the steps outlined can be implemented in the medium term due to the time necessary for planning and implementation and the challenging integration with current systems.
To reduce the impact of a rare second incident, the speed at the Gotthard Base Tunnel’s two portal lane changes will be temporarily reduced to 160 km/h once the tunnel is fully reopened. The speed reduction would not affect Ticino and German-speaking Switzerland customers or connections, but it will reduce reserve travel time for delays. Passenger trains are unaffected and can travel 230 km/h in the Gotthard Base Tunnel as before.
The full article in German can be accessed here.
French line to access Turin-Lyon tunnel will prioritise freight traffic
Symbolic picture by Erwin van der Linden
French infrastructure management SNCF Réseau presented a three-year study for the Turin-Lyon tunnel access route. The 170 million euro ‘Grand Gabarit’ scenario will prioritise rail freight traffic.
The study will examine the route from Lyon’s St. Exupéry Airport to St. Jean de Maurienne and the future French entry of the Turin-Lyon tunnel (Mont Cenis Base Tunnel). The 120-kilometre ‘Grand Gabarit’ route from Lyon to the future tunnel will circumvent Chambéry owing to two new tunnels traversing the Belledonne and Chartreuse mountain ranges. However, the new Lyon-St. Jean de Maurienne line will not be ready for the tunnel’s 2032 opening.
The French government prioritised modernising the Dijon-Modane railway, which bypasses Lyon and leads to the Mont Cenis Base Tunnel. This delayed the Lyon – St. Jean de Maurienne section’s commissioning until the mid-2040s, over a decade after the Mont Cenis Base Tunnel scheduled opening.
After the tunnel opens, the Turin-Lyon axis may move 28 million tonnes.
Since the Dijon – Modane railway was prioritised, the growth in rail freight traffic through the planned tunnel will be diverted there for over a decade. Unfortunately, even a modernised Dijon-Modane line cannot handle those volumes.
In addition to the 170 million euros for the Lyon – St. Jean de Maurienne line study, 50 more will be used for the Lyon Rail Bypass (CFAL), totaling 220 million euros. The CFAL will help goods trains escape Lyon’s congested downtown. Technical, social, environmental, and financial studies and construction tenders will be funded in both circumstances. France had to raise 130 million euros by 30 January 2024, while the EU would contribute 90 million through its Connecting Europe Facility. On 29 January, one day before the deadline, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes announced it will cover the last 20 million euros.
Source:
Railfreight associations express resistance on DAC deployment
Symbolic picture by Adi Goldstein on Unsplash
RAIL freight associations in Germany and Eastern Europe believe that deploying the Digital Automatic Coupler (DAC) should be optional. They have submitted a memorandum outlining their concerns to Ms Magda Kopczynska, director-general of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG Move).
The document signed by German Rail Freight Association (Die Güterbahnen) , Polish Federation of Independent Rail Operators (ZNPK) , Czech Association of Rail Freight Operators (Žesnad.cz) ,Slovak Association of Rail Freight Operators (Aros) , Hungarian Railway Association (Hungrail), Czech Association of Owners and Operators of Railway Vehicles (SPV), and Slovak Association of Owners and Operators of Railway Vehicles (ZVKV) expresses reservations about the commercial case for DAC implementation across the European Union.
It also indicates parts of the DAC deployment strategy that require additional investigation before binding decisions are made. According to the organisations, implementing DAC needs a large upfront investment in infrastructure, equipment, and technology. As goods operators confront losing market share and profitability, the initial cost is a barrier to adoption, and it will only be accepted if it is evenly distributed and demonstrable economic benefits are proved.
Given the competitiveness of the rail freight industry, the associations believe that DAC is unlikely to be a game changer for single wagonload traffic or block trains that travel back and forth for months without having to couple or uncouple waggons.
Source:
https://www.railjournal.com/policy/dac-deployment-should-be-optional-say-rail-freight-associations/