Huge 500-ton rock posed a threat to Swiss railway

SBB has begun dismantling and removing a 500-ton boulder on the slope of Mount Ross, according to the railway portal Railway Supply, citing SBB.

Inspections in April revealed that the giant rock was at risk of detaching from the cliff, posing a threat to the railway in the valley below.

The removal work is expected to take a month, as reported by SBB this week.

Mount Ross is mainly composed of a rock type known as Nagelfluh, an ancient type of mountain deposits.

In other words, it is a mountain made up of debris from higher peaks of the Alps. This means that large rocks and boulders can occasionally detach.

One such rock was discovered in April and has already slid down to a terrace about 300 meters above the railway line between Zug and Arth-Goldau.

Monitoring equipment has been installed to observe the movement of the boulder. Mesh nets and steel cables were used to secure the 500-ton rock while plans for its complete removal were developed.

In addition, measures were taken to quickly close the railway and halt train traffic.

The first explosion, which shattered the giant boulder into smaller pieces, occurred on Wednesday.

Train operations were suspended for 20 minutes during the operation. A small excavator was employed to break the rock into even smaller fragments.

Individual fragments are being transported using an improvised cableway system to trucks in the valley.

To fully break down the boulder, another 10-12 explosions are required. It is expected that this process will take another four weeks.

Reference: SBB (Schweizerische Bundesbahnen)

SBB (Schweizerische Bundesbahnen) is the national railway company of Switzerland. It is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the Swiss railway network, including passenger and freight services.

SBB operates both regional and long-distance trains, connecting various cities and towns within Switzerland, as well as providing international connections to neighboring countries.

The company is known for its punctuality, efficiency, and high-quality service. SBB also offers additional services such as travel planning, ticketing, and various railway-related services.

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