Karlsruhe-Basel rail line set to be operational earlier than expected

According to media reports, the re-opening of the international rail corridor between Karlsruhe and Basel is moved to an earlier time thanks to the smooth proceeding of the construction works. The railway line is now slated to be fully operational as of October 2 while it was initially planned to be resumed on October 7.

On August 12, the ground above the new Rastatt tunnel in Germany subsided during a drill work conducted by Deutsche Bahn, which warped the railway tracks. Since then, rail transportation was immensely affected across Europe, resulting in higher freight rates as well as force majeure declarations stemming from delivery delays for many industry participants.

Shortly before the news come out, Ineos Styrolution reported to be planning to lift its force majeure on PS and ABS deliveries to Italy and Switzerland by early October, once the Karlsruhe-Basel railway is re-opened.