Suspension of train services between France and Italy due to rockslide

Train services between France and Italy have been disrupted due to a rockslide that occurred in Savoie, France, on Sunday, August 27. According to an update from the French railway company SNCF, the rockfall is still blocking train traffic through the Fréjus rail tunnel, leading to the suspension of rail traffic between St Michel de Maurienne and Modane for an unspecified period.

Transport Minister Clément Beaune visited the site of the landslide, which remains fragile. Initially, it was stated that 700 cubic meters of stone were obstructing both the road and the railway tracks. However, according to France Bleu's assessment, the amount of precarious rock at the cliff's edge is now estimated to be 3,000 cubic meters.

Images on social media displayed a substantial dust cloud breaking away from a cliff and descending onto the nearby road, which runs parallel to both the railway and the highway. Fortunately, the RD 1006 road had been closed just thirty minutes before, triggered by the fall of a single stone block, according to Jean-Philippe Laplanche, the infrastructure head in the Savoie region.

An SNCF spokesperson mentioned that the duration of restoration work cannot be determined until a diagnosis is made and operations to clear any fallen materials are completed. SNCF Réseau teams will then assess the damage to the railway infrastructure and establish the restoration timeline. Moreover, potential additional risks will be assessed when the geologists will arrive at the site. In the meantime, alternative rail routes between France and Italy are available through Nice and Zurich.

The disruption in the Alps has been extensive in recent weeks. The Swiss Gotthard Base Tunnel was closed due to a freight carriage derailment on August 10, 2023, causing substantial infrastructure damage. It partially reopened on August 22, 2023. Furthermore, the Brenner Pass between Italy and Austria was closed for significant railway tunnel work from August 6 to August 23, as reported by Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB).

Concerns are now arising regarding the renovation of the Mont Blanc highway tunnel. Infrastructure operator Geie plans to resume renovation work on a 1.2-kilometer section of the 11.6-kilometer-long Mont Blanc tunnel, with an estimated cost of approximately $54.05 million. This project is set to commence next year, resulting in a 15-week closure of the tunnel from September 4, 2023, to December 18, 2023. While this is not a railway tunnel, such a closure will further strain transportation infrastructure in the Alps.