Press sees tunnel damage

Damaged track in Gotthard (c) SBB

Swiss Federal Railways have released more details about the clear up operation going on in the Gotthard Base Tunnel after a derailment a month ago.

Engineers have already said it will take until the end of the year at least to get the tunnel reopened. 

The press was allowed into the tunnel yesterday – and the scale of the damage is clear. 

Parts of the train remain. It will take until the end of the month to get all the carriages out. 

It’s only then work on repairing 8 km of track can begin. 

The tunnel closure is already having a knock-on effect. Haulage companies says it’s costing them money. Traffic is heavier at the road tunnel and long planned renovation work at the Mont-Blanc tunnel has been put back a year.

All because of a broken wheel.

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