Railway viaduct dating back more than 100 years is apparently illegally blown up in an environmentally sensitive area.
Police are currently investigating how the mixup happened, following the demolition of the bridge in the Canton of Graubuenden, Switzerland, in which the Castielertobel Viaduct, resting on two 50-metre-high (164 feet) stone pillars was completely demolished on 13th May.
The demolition, executed by the Swiss transport company Rhaetian Railway (RhB), followed after the inspections in 2019 discovered serious damage to the 1914 viaduct’s steel structure.
The Swiss Federal Office of Transport (BAV) said that it should have authorised the demolition if it was going to happen, after a green study, and the government itself had apparently informed RhB that blasting was not allowed.
In its application to remove the bridge, the RhB apparently applied for a conventional demolition, without using explosives.
Michael Mueller, media spokesperson for the Federal Office of Transport, told RTR: “The RhB expressly ruled out blasting for the dismantling of the Castieler viaduct.
“The fact that blasting was carried out now, despite this, contradicts this approval and is therefore illegal.”
The Graubuenden public prosecutor’s office is currently conducting preliminary investigations to determine whether criminal offences have been committed.
In defence of the move, it was pointed out that the Swiss canton of Graubuenden announced that there was nothing against the demolition, but according to Mueller, this was not enough, saying: “Construction and dismantling of railway facilities must be approved by the BAV as part of a so-called planning approval procedure.
“The sole statement of a cantonal authority is not enough.”
Christian Florin, Head of Infrastructure at the RhB, said that after the demolition project was put out to public tender, a construction company recommended demolition – for safety reasons.
The RhB then examined the impact on the environment with various authorities and experts and received the green light.
But they admitted that the railway should have consulted the Federal Office of Transport again because originally only conventional demolition without blasting was approved.
Florin said: “We simply forgot about this. We assumed that this was OK because all the authorities concerned had agreed. The federal government also relies on these authorities.
“We have to learn from such mistakes and make a change in the future.”
The Rhaetian Railway has now commissioned an independent environmental expert who, together with the Office for Nature and the Environment, will examine how environmentally friendly the demolition of the Castieler viaduct was.
The BAV has requested a formal reply and added that afterwards, they will decide how to proceed.
To find out more about the author, editor or agency that supplied this story – please click below. Story By: Michael Leidig, Sub-Editor: Georgina Jedikovska, Agency: Newsflash
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