SBB bosses were warned Shaking train disaster could have been avoided early on
Expensive fiasco: According to a media report, the problematic procurement of the shaking trains could have been avoided. The SBB bosses were apparently warned by an expert at an early stage.
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- According to a media report, the debacle surrounding the procurement of the double-decker trains known as shaking trains could have been avoided.
- According to the "Sonntagszeitung" newspaper, an expert recommended that the Federal Railways pull out of the project at an early stage.
- The rail company's management is said to have ignored the early warnings and failed to inform the Board of Directors.
After a delay of more than four years, the first of the double-decker long-distance trains known as shaking trains were finally put into operation in 2018 - the start of operation was planned for 2013.
However, as the SonntagsZeitung newspaper writes, the debacle surrounding the procurement, which cost an eye-wateringly expensive CHF 1.9 billion, could have been avoided.
Expert recommended early withdrawal
An expert appointed by SBB recommended back in early 2014 that the company should pull out of the procurement and prepare alternatives in good time. He stated in an internal report that the project was likely to fail.
However, the rail company's group management had ignored the early warnings and also failed to inform the Board of Directors.
Threat of compensation deterred SBB
However, the group management had not ruled out a project failure. However, a withdrawal was out of the question due to the threat of high compensation claims from train manufacturer Bombardier.
The shaking trains are still causing problems today. As early as summer 2022, SBB will no longer be running trains at high speed. Now the technology known as roll compensation is to be discontinued altogether - the ride comfort is too poor.
With material from Keystone-SDA.
