[CH] Gotthard Base tunnel repairs finished

[bahnause]

The repair works in the Gotthard Base Tunnel were completed on time. Full operation of the entire system was resumed on September 2, 2024. A temporary speed restriction of 160 km/h remains in place at both tunnel portals on the north and south access. The speed restriction will remain in force until the accident investigations have been completed, resulting in an additional journey time of approximately 40 seconds for passenger trains. Driver assistance systems such as ADL and vPRO have been calibrated to the new situation, allowing compensation for the time loss by using the maximum permitted speed in the tunnel and on the open lines north and south.

The journey time between Ticino and German-speaking Switzerland has been further reduced by 60 minutes. Passenger trains now run every half hour throughout the day, and all direct connections beyond Milan are once again offered.

SBB Press release (German)

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

That's good news all round, and seemingly well handled by SBB and its contractors.
Now we just need the Fréjus route closure to make the same kind of progress.]
This is obviously not SBB's direct problem, but it must still be causing a lot of disruption across the region, especially for freight.

 

[Mag_seven]

resulting in an additional journey time of approximately 40 seconds for passenger trains.

Only in Switzerland would that delay even be reported!

 

[railfan99]

Only in Switzerland would that delay even be reported!

The 'temporary speed restriction of 160kmh' matches or exceeds the maximum permitted speed anywhere on many rail networks throughout the world.

 

[bahnause]

Only in Switzerland would that delay even be reported!

It is quite important for planning and the settings of the driver assistent systems to compensate for the loss of time. Timeslots are quite tight before, in and after the tunnel.