Train disruptions

⚠️ Train derailment in Swiss Gotthard tunnel on route Zurich – Milan

  • 18 August 2023
  • 12 replies
  • 1664 views
Sarah W
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The Swiss National Railways has announced that a freight train derailment on 10th August in the Gotthard Base Tunnel located on the route between Zurich to Milan has caused severe track damage. SBB expects that the tunnel will only be available for passenger train travel from the beginning of 2024. 

 

As a result, direct international trains will now take the scenic route across the mountains instead of the tunnel, resulting in 1 hour longer travel times. For this reason, SBB recommends catching a 1-hour earlier train from Zurich so as to not miss any further connecting trains. The following routes are the direct international Eurocity routes:

  • Eurocity Zurich – Lugano – Milan/Verona/Venice/Genova
  • Eurocity Basel – Luzern – Lugano – Milan

For all other international and domestic connections, there are hourly direct trains from Zurich to Chiasso taking the scenic route instead of the tunnel. In Chiasso, one can change trains for destinations such as Lugano, Como, Milan, and Bologna. In addition, many local Trenord trains run from Chiasso into Italy without requiring any seat reservations.

 

If you happened to miss your connecting train because of this disruption, please get a new seat reservation arranged locally at a train station in Chiasso or Italy.

 

Check the SBB timetable for the most up-to-date traffic information.

Please note that I can't reply to any of my private messages at the moment. Thanks for your understanding.

12 replies

E

Is interrail offering any compensation for tickets that incur charges as a result of changing reservations due to this blockage? We will need to change a seat reservation to make sure we manage the connections, and it will cost us a fee, which seems unfair. 

T
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Customer support shouldn't add a fee for that change I agree. What did they offer ?

E

Customer support shouldn't add a fee for that change I agree. What did they offer ?

I’m afraid that I can’t make any changes on the interrail site without automatically being charged a change / refund fee. They claim that SNCF won’t allow any changes at all, and the Frecciarossa charges a fee for cancelling a reservation and rebooking. Interrail have told me that it’s not something they have any control over, even though they are the ones facilitating the international travel that is affected by this issue. 

T
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Yes but if you contact customer support and explain your situation they'll probably rebook you without fees.

https://eurail.zendesk.com/hc/en-001/requests/new

Seat reservations are generally not refundable unless you contact support.

E

Yes but if you contact customer support and explain your situation they'll probably rebook you without fees.

https://eurail.zendesk.com/hc/en-001/requests/new

Seat reservations are generally not refundable unless you contact support.

Thank you. I did contact customer support but they have told me that they simply can’t help me with this. Their only suggestion is to contact the individual rail companies directly, which involves a whole other layer of complication that I need to navigate, since I booked the seats through interrail. 

E

An update for anyone following: I have just spoken to a representative from SNCF who says that because the booking was made through Interrail there is nothing they can do to change the seat reservations and I have to do it through Interrail. 

'Votre réservation ayant été effectué via Interrail, nous n'avons aucun pouvoir dessus, j'en suis navré. Je vous invite à vous rapprocher d'Interrail afin d'effectuer le changement de votre billet.'

My message from Interrail is as follows:

‘As a solution, I would like to suggest you to contact the train carrier of the affected journey and require a change to this reservation, so you can make your connection. You can explain that the delay will affect your connections. 
 
Unfortunately, we cannot exchange this ticket from our end.’

This is maddening! Frenitalia is also not allowing any changes that I am trying to make via their site. 

T
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Userlevel 7
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@Mukhammad @Camilo. Is this normal ? The advice given is generally to contact Interrail customer support. What do you suggest since railway companies won't refund reservations bought through interrail.eu (not only in this case I mean) ?

Angelo
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SBB and Trenitalia have now changed their timetables. Trains Zürich-Milan start 60 minutes before scheduled departure time before the derailment and the trains Milan-Zürich arrive 60 minutes later. 

There are some exceptions. 

SBB.ch is up-to-date with the new timetable.

Do you have any questions? Feel free to ask in the community! Known languages: Deutsch, Italiano, English.
Camilo.
Userlevel 6
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@Mukhammad @Camilo. Is this normal ? The advice given is generally to contact Interrail customer support. What do you suggest since railway companies won't refund reservations bought through interrail.eu (not only in this case I mean) ?

Which route were you @Emily P travelling? 

Please note that I won't reply to any of my private messages at the moment. Thanks for your understanding
Camilo.
Userlevel 6
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Is interrail offering any compensation for tickets that incur charges as a result of changing reservations due to this blockage? We will need to change a seat reservation to make sure we manage the connections, and it will cost us a fee, which seems unfair. 

After checking your messages with my colleagues, I see that you were requesting a reimburse of the seat reservations, for this, you have to contact Trenitalia. It was a misunderstanding, because we can indeed exchange the seat reservation with TrenItaliafor another time and date. Since most of the trains have now a delay longer than 60 minutes, please fill out the delay compensation form and my colleagues will review it. Delay Compensation (interrail.eu)

Have a nice day! 

Please note that I won't reply to any of my private messages at the moment. Thanks for your understanding
E

Thank you for clearing up the misunderstanding, @Camilo.

However, I since received an email from Trenitalia announcing that our morning Milano Centrale - Basel train has been completely cancelled! I was told by Eurrail customer support that the only way to be reimbursed for seat reservations on a cancelled train is also through the train operator, i.e. Trenitalia. Please could you confirm for me that this is true? I submitted a claim through Trenitalia here: https://reclami-e-suggerimenti.trenitalia.com/rimborsi/Anagrafica.aspx, but I do not know how they will reimburse me since I booked and paid the 60 euros for the seat reservations through eurrail.eu? 

Best wishes,

Emily

 

 

Is interrail offering any compensation for tickets that incur charges as a result of changing reservations due to this blockage? We will need to change a seat reservation to make sure we manage the connections, and it will cost us a fee, which seems unfair. 

After checking your messages with my colleagues, I see that you were requesting a reimburse of the seat reservations, for this, you have to contact Trenitalia. It was a misunderstanding, because we can indeed exchange the seat reservation with TrenItaliafor another time and date. Since most of the trains have now a delay longer than 60 minutes, please fill out the delay compensation form and my colleagues will review it. Delay Compensation (interrail.eu)

Have a nice day! 

 

Camilo.
Userlevel 6
Badge +3

Hi @Emily P 

Yes, reimbursements for TrenItalia must be requested direct with them, even if you booked with us. 

Let us know if you have questions. 

Please note that I won't reply to any of my private messages at the moment. Thanks for your understanding

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