First trains travel through the west tunnel of the Gotthard Base Tunnel again
The west tunnel of the Gotthard Base Tunnel has been successfully repaired and the first trains will be running again from 19 August 2024 as part of trial operations. The full reopening of the world's longest railway tunnel is planned for 2 September 2024.
Following the successful completion of test operations, the first trains once again travelled through the repaired west tunnel of the Gotthard Base Tunnel on 19 August 2024. The first commercial train, an early train from Chiasso to Basel, marked this important milestone. Another goods train followed, operated by SBB Cargo International. SBB will continue to carry out test runs in the coming weeks in preparation for the full reopening on 2 September 2024.
Gradual return to normality
Cleaning work will take place repeatedly in the run-up to the full reopening. From 2 September, the half-hourly frequency for all InterCity and EuroCity trains between German-speaking Switzerland and Ticino will be restored. This will provide travellers with a significantly faster connection through the Gotthard Base Tunnel, reducing journey times by an hour.
Important progress on the road to normalisation
With the trial operation in the west tunnel and the successful tests, SBB is ensuring that the Gotthard Base Tunnel will soon be fully available again. This is of key importance not only for passenger transport, but also for freight transport. The tunnel remains one of the most important transport routes in Switzerland and Europe.
Work on the tunnel is continuing as planned and SBB is confident that regular operations can be resumed from the beginning of September 2024.