If you are planning to travel to the Swiss Alps in the coming days, know that some railway lines and roads are currently closed.
Abundant amount of fresh snow – up to 80 cm – that fell in some mountain areas in the past days, has made getting to Valais ski resorts, either by train or car, difficult if not impossible.
As of Wednesday February 18th, access is still disrupted in the Goppenstein region, where the railway line has remained closed after an avalanche derailed a train on the Ferden–Goppenstein–Steg line early on Monday.
The line between Kandersteg and Brig remains closed, with trains no longer running between Goppenstein and the Upper Valais town following the train derailment.
The disruptions are expected to last until Saturday morning, February 20th, at the earliest.
However, a replacement bus service is operating hourly between Visp, Gampel, and Goppenstein.
What about access by road?
The road to the Lötschental Valley, which had been impassable due to heavy snowfall over the weekend, has reopened as far as Wiler.
Access to Arolla and Zinal by car is also now possible.
However, road access to several side valleys is still blocked, including the main road to Saas Grund and Saas Fee, as well as toward Zermatt.
READ MORE: The three important Swiss driving rules you need to know when it snows
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What is the update on the avalanche warnings?
On Tuesday, February 17th, the Federal Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF), declared a “very high risk” (level 5 of 5) of avalanches n some parts of the Valais Alps.
The situation remains tense across the canton: even though the SLF has lifted the 5/5 danger level for the region, it declared a “high” (4/5) risk as of Wednesday morning.
