On 18 November Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) completed the cleanup and repair work on the section of the Simplon Tunnel damaged by fire on 9 June 2011. The total cost of the repair work will have come to 12 million Swiss francs. Work to upgrade the tunnel is now proceeding as initially planned before the fire broke out, and is due to be completed in 2014.

As part of the renovation work, SBB is bringing all the tunnel’s fittings up to current safety and technical standards. Evacuation routes have been created, track switches and interlocking stations replaced, and drainage facilities and power supply upgraded. The restoration is set to cost 150 million Swiss francs.

(Source: SBB)