Bad news: the railway line France-Italy affected by a landslide almost a year ago in the Maurienne valley is experiencing a further delay in its reopening. Although the reopening was scheduled for this autumn for passenger and freight traffic, it has now been delayed once again. postponed to the first quarter of 2025. The Savoie prefecture and SNCF Réseau justified the delay in a joint press release, explaining that " unstable cavities discovered in the central part of the slope [....] have proved to be much more extensive than expected "and will require additional purging, anchoring and fencing work" . They also state that the railway line cannot be reopened before the 1st quarter of 2025 if no new serious geological hazard arises "in the meantime.
A blackout affecting SNCF and Trenitalia
This is the 27 August 2023 that some 15,000 m3 of rock fell near Modane in Savoie, burying a departmental road, the A43 motorway (quickly reopened after the landslide) and a 300-metre-long railway tunnel through which SNCF high-speed trains and Trenitalia Frecciarossa trains between Paris and Milan (via Turin) as well as TER trains used to travel. The current worksite is proving to be particularly technical, with around twenty rope access technicians working at heights of over 200 metres to stabilise the cliff with " rocks or boulders can break loose at any time and fall to the ground below" said the press release. This disruption to the line has forced SNCF to offer passengers alternative solutions, with a TGV journey to Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne followed by coach services. As last year, the railway company is already working on alternative solutions for access to the Maurienne ski resorts (Aussois, La Norma, Valfréjus, Valloire, Valmeinier, etc.) for the coming winter season 2024-2025. Trenitalia has since concentrated solely on its links between Paris and Lyon, offering services up to 5 times a day. This geological event also confirms the support of professionals for the opening in 2032 of the Lyon-Turin high-speed line, whose 57 km tunnel under the Alps will link the two cities in less than 2 hours.
