Swiss and German logistics and business associations and companies intermodal transport have proposed some measures to use and expand the capacity of the Gotthard mountain line and of the Lötschberg/Simplon line in order to respond the backlog of trains and loading units along the Rhine-Alpine corridor arising from the accident in the Gotthard Base Tunnel, with train derailment goods occurred on August 10.

In a note, specifying to welcome the solutions prepared for the carriage of goods by rail after the accident and in view of the planned reopening of the Gotthard Base Tunnel announced for next Wednesday, ASTAG, BLS Cargo, DB Cargo, Hupac, Railcare and VAP have proposed to use the barrel east of the Gotthard Base Tunnel, undamaged, exclusively for freight traffic and with priority for trains with a profile of 4 meters, to progressively maximize the capacity of the Gotthard Base Tunnel by increasing speed and using all sections of track available throughout the gallery and use the line of mountain for passenger traffic and conventional trains in complete wagons which do not require a 4 metre profile and which, Thanks to their low weight, they do not depend on expensive traction multiple. In addition, capacity utilisation is also proposed. available on the Lötschberg line and its routes access to the south through appropriate measures, operational management active with the use of all parking capacities and Available buffers and close coordination by SBB Infrastructure with neighbouring infrastructure managers in order to to adapt timetables and avoid disruptions due to construction sites and other irregularities on the diversion and access sections.

This - they specified - to allow to optimize the measures announced, with SBB Infrastructure, the company that manages the Swiss rail network, which will 90 tracks per day available for freight trains with a profile of 4 meters that will be added to 20 tracks diverted along the line of Gotthard mountain for conventional wagon traffic and a residual capacity across the Lötschberg-Simplon.