External event, overhead line and vehicle disruption What the disruptions at SBB mean
SBB experiences disruptions time and again for a variety of reasons. But what do they actually mean? An explanation.
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- Disruptions to rail services often result in cancellations, delays or track changes.
- The reasons are often different.
- But what exactly do "overhead line disruptions" or "extraordinary construction work" mean, for example?
Whether vehicle disruptions, technical faults on the railroad system or external events - disruptions to rail services affect everyday travel. But what exactly do they mean?
Technical disruption to the railroad system
SBB has several thousand points on its network, plus around 36,000 signals with associated lamps. Sometimes these can no longer be controlled. In addition, one of the 500 or so signal boxes that control rail operations can also malfunction. In these cases, the term "technical fault on the railroad system" is used.
And then? If the fault cannot be rectified remotely, a specialist has to travel to the site and find the cause.
In the case of simple faults, this can be done very quickly. If possible, the fault is bypassed; if not, the train runs at a reduced speed, for example. The consequences of a "technical fault on the railroad system" are delays, track changes or train cancellations.
Vehicle or door malfunction
If the cause of the fault is in the vehicle or the door, this is referred to as a "vehicle fault" or "door fault". According to SBB, this occurs when the train is on the move a lot and is exposed to many passenger changes.
And then? The train crew try to rectify the fault on the spot. This may involve mechanical work or a computer reset of the locomotive. In case of doubt, a train may not be allowed to continue its journey.
Catenary fault
SBB passenger trains run on electricity only. The trains draw their power from a pantograph, which is mounted on the locomotive and touches the overhead contact line. If this is damaged and trains can no longer run on the section in question, this is referred to as a catenary fault.
And then? Then technicians have to be careful. Because large amounts of electricity - 15,000 volts - flow in the overhead lines. As long as there are no trained specialists on site, it cannot be ruled out that dangerous "residual quantities" of electricity are still present. To protect against this, it therefore takes some time at the beginning of the fault before the actual fault rectification can begin. Trains are then diverted or canceled.
Incident in ... or strike in ...
Trains from various countries run from the Swiss border as "domestic" trains to the Bernese Oberland, Zurich or Chur, for example. The trains are therefore integrated into the Swiss timetable. If there are delays or cancellations abroad due to an event such as a strike, SBB communicates this accordingly, stating the country in question.
And then? SBB will then try to organize replacement trains or other means of transport.
Extraordinary construction work
If a defective switch or damaged track cannot be repaired quickly, a section of track may have to be completely closed for a few hours for the repair work. SBB refers to this work, which is not planned in advance, as "extraordinary construction work".
And then? If the repair work cannot be rescheduled for the night, for example, there will be restrictions on rail traffic.
External event
If people or animals are near the tracks, in the event of a collision with an animal, a personal accident or if there is an obstacle on the tracks, SBB refers to this as an "external event".
And then? To be on the safe side, traffic has to be stopped completely or may only run at a massively reduced speed. The necessary SBB and emergency services are deployed on site. Depending on the extent of the external incident, there may be longer restrictions. Delays, detour or train cancellations are the consequence.
