- A fire in a locomotive in Zurich-Altstetten station restricted rail traffic for several hours.
- The restriction was lifted shortly before 1 a.m., according to the SBB.
- In the evening there were delays, cancellations and diversions. The connections between Zurich and Basel and between Zurich and Bern were temporarily affected by the disruption.
Rail traffic in Zurich-Altstetten was interrupted at 5:30 p.m., according to the SBB. For reasons that are still unknown, the locomotive of an S-Bahn caught fire at 5 p.m. After initially only two tracks were closed, the overhead lines of the entire station later had to be switched off.
Difficult extinguishing work
A medical examination was carried out on two people, said Protection & Rescue Zurich (SRZ). Both could have left the place unharmed. There were no injuries.
The extinguishing work had proven to be complex, SRZ continued. Since access to the locomotive was difficult, the flames were fought exclusively with an external attack. After about an hour, the professional fire brigade was able to extinguish the fire and then start the clean-up work.
Due to the extinguishing work, the station was closed for an hour. Rail traffic came to a complete standstill for two hours and only gradually resumed at 7:30 p.m. Two tracks in Zurich-Altstetten station remained closed for rescue and clean-up work. The restriction was lifted shortly before 1 a.m., as the SBB on theirs Website writes about the operating situation and disruptions.
Long-distance connections between Zurich and Basel and between Zurich and Bern were affected on Thursday evening. In the S-Bahn network, lines S5, S11, S12, S14, S19 and S20 were mainly affected.