Bad weather Visp-Zermatt railroad line not open again until the end of August

The railroad line between Visp and Zermatt will not be open to traffic again until August 26 at the earliest. Originally, the Matterhorn Gotthard Railway expected to have repaired the line, which had been interrupted by storms, by mid-August.

The Matterhorn Gotthard Railway announced on Tuesday that the repair work on the railroad track in the Mattertal valley, which was damaged by the floods at the end of June, was very challenging due to the current large amount of meltwater in the Vispa.

Rail replacement buses are still running between Visp and Täsch. Between Täsch and Zermatt, however, the shuttle train is running again according to schedule. "Zermatt can be reached safely by public transport," assured the railroad company.

The Vispa river and its tributaries flowing through the Mattertal valley washed mud and debris onto the tracks during the floods at the end of June. Parts of the track were washed away and the foundations of bridges and viaducts were damaged. Those responsible at the Matterhorn-Gotthard Railway estimated the damage at over ten million francs.