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SBB to divert trains from Gotthard Base Tunnel to panoramic line in January

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Electrification work in one of the galleries of the Gotthard Base Tunnel (CC BY SA) HANNES ORTLIEB-Wikimedia Commons. Cropped image.

Electrification work in one of the galleries of the Gotthard Base Tunnel (CC BY SA) HANNES ORTLIEB-Wikimedia Commons. Cropped image.

From 12 to 23 January 2026, Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) will reroute much of the Gotthard axis rail traffic onto the conventional, so-called “panoramic” line due to maintenance work in the Gotthard Base Tunnel.

This is one of the busiest routes in the country and requires periodic interventions to ensure safety and reliability. When work in one of the tunnel’s galleries exceeds eight hours of the overnight maintenance window, longer interventions are scheduled.

Among the works planned for January, the tunnel’s communication system—operational since before 2016 and nearing the end of its service life—will be replaced.

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During these dates, InterCity and EuroCity trains will run on the mountain line, adding approximately one hour to journey times. International services between Milan, Zurich, and Frankfurt am Main, as well as the first and last IC trains each day, will remain unchanged.

The need for such extensive maintenance on a key infrastructure highlights the importance of having an alternative route, such as the Pajares ramp, which also offers significant tourist potential.

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