Yesterday afternoon (12/02/08) the leading coach of a passenger train derailed whilst travelling over the important Gotthard route between Biasca and Airolo. The train involved was a Locarno to Zürich Interregio service consisting of 11 coaches hauled by an Re460 electric loco. Fortunately there were no injuries to passengers or rail staff.
Some photos from the "20 Minuten" Newspaper.
http://www.20min.ch/diashow/16690/07643569.jpg
A general view showing the Locarno-Zürich train hauled by an SBB Re460 electric loco with the diesel-hauled "fire and rescue" train on the extreme left.
http://www.20min.ch/diashow/16690/07643648.jpg
Members of the "fire and rescue" team "evacuating" one of the less able bodied passengers from the train........I wonder what his wife is saying?
http://www.20min.ch/diashow/16690/07643568.jpg
The Re460 electric loco and the derailed first class coach.
http://www.20min.ch/diashow/16690/07643593.jpg
Another shot of the derailed coach. The derailment occurred at a location where the line is climbing through a series of spirals and the same line can be seen higher up the valley side on the viaduct in the top right-hand corner of this photo. The concrete bridge is the Gotthard motorway.
Needless to say the Swiss Transport Department have started an inquiry but it looks like the train was in the process of crossing over from the northbound track to the southbound track when the derailment occurred. Most lines in Switzerland are signalled for reversible working and it is quite common for a train to be switched to overtake another or if a track is closed for engineering work.
The coach was rerailed, the track repaired and the line re-opened this morning (13/02/08) The route is a main artery between Germany and Italy and carries several hundred freight trains a day in addition to the passenger services.