Swiss rail operator and infrastructure manager SBB is going to be renovating the Simplon tunnel for the next four years. It runs below the Swiss alps and across the Swiss-Italian border. Construction works are supposed to start at the beginning of February.
The entirety of the eastern tube of the tunnel is in need of renovation works, SBB says. Parts of the vault will undergo maintenance and drainage will be improved. For six months each year between 2025 and 2028, there will be works ongoing at the tunnel. The renovation “will be coordinated with work in other Swiss tunnels to ensure a minimum number of passenger and freight trains through the Alps”, explains SBB.
The first phase of the project will take place between 3 February and 27 July 2025. The tunnel will still be operational during this time. SBB explains that the important four-meter corridor in the tunnel will be severely limited, which has ramifications for rail freight traffic.
Italian works
On the other side of the border, in Italy, works are also taking place. The four-meter corridor between Domodossola and Milan is being expanded, which is supposed to benefit transalpine freight traffic. Maintenance of the route takes place at certain times, which means that the service on the Simplon route will have to be reduced for several years, says SBB. Specifically in this year, the Domodossola – Milan route will be closed entirely between 8 June and 27 July, as well as from 31 August to 12 September.
