More frequent freight wagon checks as the EU adopts the Swiss line

The European Union has revised its rules on freight wagon maintenance, taking up the demands Switzerland made after the derailment of 10 August 2023 in the Gotthard base tunnel.

The central point concerns how often checks are carried out. Wheels and braking systems will have to be inspected every 50,000 to 300,000 kilometres, depending on the type of wagon and the service it performs. Until now the maximum interval was 660,000 kilometres. The new rules must be applied by 2028.

The director of the Federal Office of Transport, Christa Hostettler, called the outcome a success for Switzerland. The issue had been raised by Social Democrat national councillor Bruno Storni, who asked the Federal Council to intervene with the European authorities. The news was first reported by SRF.

Why this matters for Ticino

The 2023 derailment blocked one of the two bores of the base tunnel for months, affecting passenger traffic between Ticino and the rest of Switzerland as well as the capacity of the north-south freight corridor. The accident was caused by a wheel breaking on a wagon in transit.

Almost all the freight wagons crossing the Swiss Alps are registered abroad and maintained under the rules of their country of origin. Action limited to Swiss territory would therefore have had little effect, which is why the federal government took the demand to European level.

Alpine transit remains the most exposed stretch. A wagon running over the Gotthard line faces gradients and braking loads above the European network average, and wear concentrates on precisely the components the new rules require to be checked more often. The adjustment period to 2028 gives transport companies time to reorganise workshops that today work on far longer cycles.