Gotthard Base Tunnel to remain partially closed for months | Hacker News Reader

Gotthard Base Tunnel to remain partially closed for months

swissinfo.ch

5 pointssschueller4 comments

Interesting is that the train passed 3 inspection points before entering the tunnel. One was before it left in Chiasso after the train formation was assembled from the carriage that came over the border. This included a brake test. Then there was an additional inspection in Bellinzona due to a stuck brake on another carriage (not that one that had the wheel break). The 3rd. inspection was the automated one which you can see in Tom Scott's video[1]. This automated inspection point checks for thermal signature, anything that may be loose and also listens to the train running on the track.

The train traveled derailed 8km in the tunnel until it hit the turnout and ripped the train apart sending one part through the pressure door connecting the two main tunnels. This is what cased the large damage since the track is in concrete unlike tracks outside. The concrete sleepers are custom made and require curing time. It is very difficult for the train operator to determine the train has derailed in the tunnel as the locomotive has enough power to just pull the derailed carriages along with ease. These cargo carriages are consider "dumb" rail as there are no electronics on them of any kind to report derailment etc.

The next automated inspection point in the tunnel is 15km in. They will need to re-evaluate this once they figure out what exactly happened.

One of the executives had to eat his words from a while back where he said confidently the tunnel will never be completely closed for service even if there is an accident. They didn't expect a train to destroy the door however.

In the article picture is the door that the rail carriage slammed through. It is on its side and had its top ripped off.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwx_rumXUAw

Illustration of tunnels and the interconnects between the two. The accident was at the "Multifunktionsstelle Faido" side of the tunnel. The door is located between the two main tunnels:

- https://assets.new.siemens.com/siemens/assets/api/uuid:a03b8...

More Pictures:

- https://news.sbb.ch/_file/23659/_r1280x689cc.jpg

- https://news.sbb.ch/_file/23662/_r1280x689cc.jpg

- https://news.sbb.ch/_file/23661/_r1280x689cc.jpg

- https://img.blick.ch/incoming/18829950-v1-fb-img-16916890392...

- https://img.blick.ch/incoming/18830061-v1-img-20230810-wa000...

- https://img.blick.ch/incoming/18830064-v1-img-20230810-wa000...

What the door should look like:

- https://img.blick.ch/incoming/18844389-v0-basistunnel007-jpg...

- https://img.blick.ch/incoming/18844390-v2-mg-0039-jpg.jpg?im...

It says it "derailed" but that looks more like "it slammed through a closed emergency door at high speed, fell over, and derailed" which is a completely different type of accident.

What happened?

A wheel broke and the train derailed in the tunnel before the turnout. Once it hit the turnout the derailed rail carriage got caught by the turnout, ripped apart and slammed through the door. The rail carriages in front of the derailment were all ok and could be driven out with the locomotive. Also the last 4 rail carriages did not derail some of which were marked hazardous material but were being transported empty.

The tunnel has several turnouts with doors between which allows them to send a train down the other tunnel when there is the need for maintenance or in case of an emergency. The door also seals the air which is part of the air evacuation system in case of a fire and also to allow the air to be moved in the direction of the train while in the other tunnel the airs moves int opposite direction.

The description isn’t clear. Really the broken door is in a short tunnel which connects the two main tunnels. It’s for emergency use only. There’s no closed doors in the main tunnels

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