Chlorine transports: more safety
Chlorine transports have become safer in Switzerland thanks to two measures. The partners have defined further measures in a roadmap for the period from 2019 to 2025.
The most important new measure is the introduction of a special train with the 2017/2018 timetable change. This is a weekly train that brings chlorine tank cars from France to Valais and, compared to normal freight trains, runs at reduced speed (max. 40 km/h). This significantly reduces the risk of chlorine being released in the event of an accident. A second measure is the purchase of chlorine from Italy. As a result, correspondingly less chlorine is transported on the densely populated Lake Geneva arc. Furthermore, on the route of the special train, the track guards (measuring rails set in upright concrete) were removed, which could have damaged the tank cars in the event of an accident.
In addition, a further risk reduction measure is being implemented that goes well beyond the international requirements for wagon technology: the best tank wagons available in terms of safety are to be used for chlorine transport. To ensure that the risk reduction is also adhered to in the long term, the Federal Office for the Environment (Bafu) issued more stringent assessment criteria (probabilities and extent of possible events) for the risk in June 2018.
Risk 10 times smaller
The recently published report on the first phase of implementation of Joint Declaration II on chlorine transports (GE II) as of the end of 2018 shows that the agreed targets have been achieved: The risk for chlorine transports by rail was reduced by a factor of 10 at the critical points and is thus below the tightened assessment criteria, as required. This means a significant safety gain for these hazardous goods transports.
Joint roadmap for further improvements
The partners (scienceindustries, SBB, VAP Verband der verladenden Wirtschaft, the Federal Office of Transport and Bafu) will continue their efforts to improve safety in the coming years, with the aim of increasing safety even further. In a roadmap, they defined further measures for the period from 2019 to 2025. Among other things, these include further developing the safety of rail tank cars. The possibility of using tank containers and sourcing more chlorine from Italy will be taken into account.
Source: Bafu
