Rail connectivity between France and Italy has been massively disrupted since August 2023, after a landslide caused the closure of the Frejus Railway, the main line linking the two countries. However, recent investigations showed that the rail tunnel near the location of the landslide (Tunnel de la Brèche) was not impacted, meaning there will be no need to rebuild the structure.
This is a positive development because if the tunnel had been damaged, the timeline for a full reopening may have been significantly delayed. Current estimates suggest that the Frejus Railway might reopen to traffic between the end of 2024 and mid-2025. This disaster has been having atrocious consequences for the rail freight industry, especially in Italy.
The landslide occurred on 27 August 2023 in Saint-André à La Praz, near the French-Italian border. The railway running in the area is part of the main connection between Italy and France, running through the Bardonecchia-Modane border crossing. For its part, the Italian government recently said it would try to have a few freight trains running along the railway before its full reopening, similar to what was done after a derailment in the Gotthard Base Tunnel.
Also read: