The railway line in Maurienne valley linking France and Italy via Modane has been reopened today in the early morning. The route had been closed for train traffic for three weeks due to a mudslide. Railway operators have been using several alternative routes to bypass the barred line.

The Maurienne line was reopened for both passenger and freight trains on Tuesday, 23 July, at 06.00 a.m. To make the route accessible for traffic, SNCF has been carrying out works even on weekends. The relaunch of the line was reported by SNCF Réseau and RFC North Sea – Mediterranean, an alliance of European railway companies interested in the route.

Mudslide

On 2 July, a 1.80 metre-high mudflow hit the railway track between Saint Michel-Valloire and Modane in France. As a result, the line was closed for both passenger and freight traffic. The measure affected freight trains running on the North Sea – Mediterranean corridor as well as high-speed trains connecting Paris and Milan. After the incident, the series of explosions was carried out in order to prevent rockfall in the future. When the line was closed, the railway companies used several alternative routes via Switzerland: Marseille – Ventimiglia – Genova, Geneve – Domodossa/Chiasso and Basel – Domodossola/Chiasso.

Also read:

• Explosions to limit risk of rockfall near Modane
• Many trains cancelled, some rerouted between France and Italy
• Mudslide halts rail traffic between France and Italy until mid-August