ABSTRACT
Extraordinarily long, deep-lying high-speed railway tunnels are complex systems that require a large amount and variety of installed equipment to ensure safe, and ideally, uninterrupted rail operations. Each individual installation inside a tunnel (in the tunnel tubes, cross passages or rescue stations) requires regular maintenance as well as servicing and renewal.
New transalpine railway tunnels, such as the Lötschberg, Gotthard and Ceneri tunnels, consist of two separate single-track tubes connected at regular intervals by cross passages, which serve as escape routes into the safe tunnel tube and accommodate the necessary railroad equipment.
The 33-km-long Koralm Tunnel (KAT) in Austria, in which railway equipment is currently being installed, also falls into this category. Using the KAT as an example, the interactions between maintenance, safety and repair in tunnels are discussed, and a methodical approach to dealing with failure of and disruptions to safety-relevant systems, whilst only restricting rail operating conditions for a limited period of time, is given.
