majority of wagons at risk

Gotthard accident: Wheel defect pinpoints systemic safety flaw

The broken wheel that caused the derailment in the Gotthard Base Tunnel in August 2023. Image: © Swiss Safety Investigation Board (SUST)

The disastrous derailment in the Gotthard Base Tunnel in August 2023 might have been caused by a systematic problem possibly affecting a great number of wagons running on European railways. The problem seems to be with the more modern brake pads made of composite material, which does not dissipate heat as well as their predecessors in cast iron, causing wheels to crack.

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Author: Marco Raimondi

Marco Raimondi is an editor of RailFreight.com, the online magazine for rail freight professionals.

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