Train traffic has returned through the town of Rastatt on the Karlsruhe to Basel main line after construction work on a tunnel caused the tracks above to cave in.
Around lunchtime on August 12, groundwater broke into one of two new high-speed rail tunnels under construction for DB just south of the German town of Rastatt, and by sheer bad luck, the tunnel collapse happened at the only point the new 4.27km long tunnels cross under the existing line and significant earth movement on the surface resulted.
The line is used by up to 200 freight and another 150 passenger services daily – the busiest double track main line anywhere in Europe – and had to be closed.
But more than seven weeks later, the vital link has been re-opened.
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