{"id":96995,"date":"2024-07-29T19:10:55","date_gmt":"2024-07-29T09:10:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.railfreight.com\/?p=54944"},"modified":"2024-07-29T19:10:55","modified_gmt":"2024-07-29T09:10:55","slug":"hupac-to-implement-temporary-service-to-respond-to-rhine-valley-line-closure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=96995","title":{"rendered":"Hupac to implement temporary service to respond to Rhine Valley line closure"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Rhine Valley line near Rastatt, in Germany, will be closed between 9 and 30 August 2024. Alternative routes within the country are not optimal, especially for the transport of semi-trailers. Swiss rail freight operator Hupac will thus implement a new solution through France to continue to provide these services.<\/strong>
\n<\/span>With the new initiative, Hupac will deploy eleven diesel locomotives and 80 drivers to divert traffic from the Middle Rhine line to the Offenburg-W\u00f6rth section. Diesel locomotives are essential in this case as not the whole line is electrified. The drivers will be deployed in pairs. \u201cA German-speaking and a French-speaking colleague share the cab to ensure communication with the national control centres\u201d, Hupac explained.<\/p>\n

For this project, Hupac is cooperating with the French and German infrastructure managers (SNCF R\u00e9seau and DB InfraGO) and Railway Undertakings SBB Cargo International and Captrain France. The alternative route will go through Offenburg (DE), Lauterbourg (FR) and W\u00f6rth (DE). The main issue with the closure of the Rhine Valley line is that the proposed alternatives via Germany, such as the G\u00e4ubahn and the Stuttgart-Singen line do not offer enough train slots and cannot accommodate a P400 profile.<\/p>\n

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In red, the alternative line that Hupac will use between 9 and 30 August 2024. Image: \u00a9 Hupac<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

An alternative to the Rhine Valley line remains vital<\/h2>\n

Creating new and better solutions for rail freight transport across the Rhine Valley has been one of the main issues when it comes to the Rhine-Alpine corridor. Associations in Germany<\/a> urged their government to create a new infrastructure between Bonn and Mainz-Bischofsheim. However, there does not seem to be much optimism about this initiative. Moreover, Switzerland<\/a> claimed to be ready to finance the adaptation of the Basel-Strasbourg-Metz railway to the P400 profile for the transport of semi-trailers. This project would provide an alternative line on the left bank of the Rhine River.<\/p>\n