Broken Wheel Causes Derailment of Train Blocking Swiss Tunnel

The derailment that blocked the Gotthard tunnel in Switzerland last week was caused by a broken wheel on the freight train, according to investigators.

The Swiss Accident Investigation Service said its investigators had found pieces of the train’s wheel at the crash site, suggesting that, rather than previous damage to the rail, caused the incident.

Plans to restart the transport of goods through an undamaged tube has been delayed, Swiss rail operator SBB said in a statement. No estimate is yet possible on the duration of the repair work, it said, adding that an update on next steps is due Wednesday.

Update: Train Derails in Swiss Gotthard Tunnel, Halting Key Freight Route

A freight train derailing in the Gotthard tunnel last week has been blocking passage through a key route linking Northern and Southern Europe for goods transport as well as passengers during the height of the summer travel season. Engineers worked through the weekend to return the tunnel to service, the SBB said.

At 57 kilometers (35.418 miles), the world’s longest railway tunnel last year accounted for nearly 70% of all train freight moving through the Swiss alps to transport goods to German and Italian companies. A large number of steel tubes, paper and packaging products for Italian companies are regularly transported via the passage.

Swiss grocers generally rely on the railroad to transport goods. Retailers Coop and Migros have switched to the roads to move goods in both directions, according to Swiss media reports.

While the incident disrupted some supply chains, goods trains continued to cross the border during the closure period via more circuitous routes over the mountains, the SBB said.

Photograph: A locomotive makes its way next to one of the tube at the north entrance of the new Gotthard Base Tunnel the world’s longest train tunnel on the eve of its opening ceremony on May 31, 2016 in Erstfeld. Photo credit: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images