Rhine Valley rail line closed after derailment
A ro-la train from SBB Cargo International collided between Freiburg (Germany) and Basel (Switzerland) with elements of a road bridge under construction and derailed on Thursday evening (2 April 2020). The train driver died, three other persons were injured.
The rail line is heavily damaged. Freight traffic on the affected route has been suspended until further notice. SBB Cargo International reroutes as many trains as possible via Singen in Germany or via Brenner in Austria. The affected freight train was driving from Freiburg towards Basel and would have continued to Italy with Novara as its final destination. It was pulled by a BLS locomotive.
SBB Cargo International is responsible for rail traffic to Basel. On behalf of ro-la operator RAlpin, BLS Cargo and SBB Cargo International run the trains jointly. Within this cooperation, SBB Cargo International is in charge of the German and Italian sections of the route.
It was also on the Rhine Valley railway where the Rastatt incident occurred in August 2017 and where the railway section between Basel and Karlsruhe was closed for seven weeks. (ben)