The closure of Europe’s most important railway line in the Rhine Valley near Rastatt from 9 to 30 August 2024 has caused significant disruption to freight traffic. The reduced capacity of the alternative routes via Gäubahn between Stuttgart and Singen was known in advance, limiting the number of trains and the permissible P386 profile.
To cope with this situation, Hupac, DB InfraGO, SNCF Réseau, SBB Cargo International and Captrain France have developed an innovative bypass scheme through France, doubling the capacity for freight trains. According to Alessandro Valenti, Director of Shuttle Net at Hupac Intermodal, they continue to provide services using the standard P400 profile.
To keep trains moving on the route through France, which is not fully electrified, diesel locomotives are used between Offenburg and Wörth. The service consists of 11 diesel locomotives and 80 specially trained drivers working in double crews: one driver speaks German, the other speaks French, which ensures communication with national control centres. The shuttle service is available for all freight trains on the corridor and operates on a first-in, first-out basis to make the most of limited resources.