Gotthard Base Tunnel: prepared for emergencies
The 57-kilometer Gotthard Base Tunnel is also to set new standards in terms of safety. The SBB presented its corresponding 5-pillar concept in Erstfeld.
Locomotive drivers are allowed to race through the world's longest rail tunnel at speeds of up to 250 kilometers per hour. The new Gotthard Base Tunnel is directionally separated, which theoretically does not rule out a rear-end collision, but a collision from the opposite direction. However, this alone is by no means sufficient to meet the safety requirements of this heart of the north-south link.
At first glance, however, the 5-pillar safety concept does not sound very spectacular: "Prevent incidents, reduce the extent of incidents, provide for self-rescue, ensure rapid intervention, and train employees intensively. However, there is more behind this officially formulated cascade.
Various detection systems
The existing railroad facilities on the tunnel approaches in the north and south already comply with the latest safety technology, SBB officials promise. Trains are closely monitored along the entire north-south Gotthard axis, says Hans Vogt, Head of Safety and Quality at SBB. More than 170 detection systems are in operation on the entire Swiss rail network. They immediately detect when fires are smoldering, dangerous gases are escaping, axles are overheating, brakes are jamming, loads are shifting, and more. In such cases, it is clear that the trains are stopped before they enter the tunnel.
In case of emergency on the oncoming lane
But what happens if, for example, a fire breaks out in a train compartment in the tunnel, if evacuation is necessary? Then the handrails, emergency lighting and signage show passengers the way out of the danger zone - and that leads into the opposite tube: every 325 meters, the 57-kilometer-long rail tunnel has crossings into the opposite tube. There, passengers are taken by an evacuation train to one of the two emergency stops in Sedrun GR and Faido TI. Even in the event of a fire with thick clouds of smoke, two powerful ventilation systems and 24 jet fans ensure good air in the tube, SBB promises.
Much fire protection technology
The safety concept of the Gotthard Base Tunnel cannot do without a lot of fire protection technology. There are two firefighting and rescue platoons in the EIZ, i.e. Maintenance and Intervention Center, in Erstfeld in Uri and on the south side in Biasca. Here, the motto is "always ready", because in the event of a fire, things have to happen quickly. "We, or rather our firefighting and rescue platoons, are ready for action in five minutes and a short time later the team is at the tunnel portal with the vehicle," says Martin Tresch, operations manager of the Erstfeld fire department.
Rapid passenger evacuation is the top priority in the event of an emergency. The Federal Office of Transport stipulates that firefighting and rescue trains must reach the scene of an incident in no more than 45 minutes, and passengers must be evacuated in no more than 90 minutes. After all, that can be up to 680 people per train.
Exercise and training
It won't work without a drill. Together with the SBB employees of the Southern Operations Center, which is responsible for traffic management in the new Gotthard tunnel, the police, fire department and ambulance services of the cantons of Uri, Ticino and Grisons train for emergencies in several rescue exercises. The five-part safety concept also includes intensive training: 2900 of the company's own employees and around 1000 external employees receive training, in particular on the newly developed 3D simulator. Here, measures following accidents can be practiced on screen in a practical manner - with subsequent evaluation. (rs)
