SWITZERLAND’s Federal Office of Transport (FOT) has issued several new regulations intended to improve rail freight safety in Switzerland, including requirements for minimum wheel diameters, systematic and more frequent maintenance and optimised inspection.

The measures take effect immediately and operators using the Swiss network, along with fleet owners and maintenance providers have, until the end of the year to comply.  

The FOT announcement on September 11 is a response to the recommendations of a report issued by the independent Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (Sust) on June 2 into the derailment of a freight train in the Gotthard Base Tunnel on August 10 2023, the damage from which resulted in a near 13-month closure of the world’s longest railway tunnel.

The report found that a broken wheel disc on one of the wagons caused the derailment 10km inside the tunnel. It says that thermal overload of the running surface of the wheel led to fatigue cracks, which developed within the wheel disc until it fractured. The wheel was equipped with composite LL brake blocks, which the report says are favoured due to reduced noise emissions, but have been found to increase thermal stress on the wheel.

FOT says its response is based on discussions with and proposals submitted by the rail industry. The new regulations are as follows:

  • FOT stipulates that wheelsets used in Switzerland must have a diameter of at least 864mm. This is higher than the current European standard of 860mm and wheels that are found not to comply must be sent for maintenance
  • for wagons fitted with wheels with a nominal diameter of 920mm and LL brake blocks, FOT requires systematic intervals between inspection of 50,000km or no more than a year for wagons with at least one wheel with a diameter of 880mm or less, or 100,000km or no more than a year for wheels with a diameter greater than 880mm
  • for wagons fitted with wheels with a nominal diameter of 920mm and K brake blocks, FOT requires inspections after 100,000km of operation, or no more than a year, for wagons with at least one wheelset with a diameter of 880mm or less, and after 200,000km, or no more than a year, for wagons with at least one wheelset with a diameter greater than 880mm
  • technical inspection will include a visual inspection of the entire wheel and the minimum wheel diameter, which will determine whether the wheels have experienced excessive heat or other damage. An acoustic or hammer test should also be performed where composite brake blocks are fitted to identify defective wheels
  • a certificate system will be introduced for wagons showing the date of the last technical inspection, enabling operators to check if a wagon has been correctly maintained before it is allowed to travel through Switzerland, and
  • applying coloured stripes on all wheels that have been found to have overheated

In addition, FOT also recommends that fleet owners commit to only using modern wheelsets, which FOT says are less susceptible to overheating and cracking. Drivers will also be instructed to adjust driving behaviour to prevent wheels from overheating under the new guidelines. A hammer test will also be conducted before the train departs.

FOT says the companies responsible for wagon maintenance are required to implement these measures.

SBB response

Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) has welcomed the measures. In a statement it says the new regulations will substantially reduce the risk of accidents, pointing out that the factors that caused the Gotthard derailment can occur again and that regulation is the only way to address these systemic issues.

SBB announced that it would no longer handle wagons equipped with LL brake blocks in June. However, it says that the new measures will enable it to haul all freight wagons regardless of the brake blocks installed. “These measures will substantially increase safety,” SBB says.

SBB adds that it is increasing the frequency of inspections and is encouraging European authorities to adopt the new Swiss measures. It also wants to see changes in apportioning liability in the rail freight sector.

“Making wagon keepers more responsible would also improve increase safety in the rail system,” SBB says. “They would have an interest in investing more than the legal minimum in the monitoring, maintenance, and modernisation of wagons.”