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Solothurn – A RAlpin train convoy loaded with goods was turned back at the Italian border last week. Apparently six of the 16 drivers of the combined operator from BLS, SBB and Hupac were not in possession of the “Green Pass” required by the Italian authorities.
At the request of AWP, the management of the Solothurn group confirmed the information distributed by the Italian press agency Ansa at the end of last week. It was therefore a rolling road convoy that connects Freiburg im Breisgau with the terminal in Novara in Piedmont. “In this case, the drivers drive in an accompanying couchette car”, Ludwig Näf, CEO of RAlpin, told the AWP news agency.
Sleeping car not Covid certified
“Since not all drivers were in possession of a Covid certificate or a ‘Green Pass’ at the time of the inspection in Domodossola, the train had to return to Freiburg im Breisgau and be unloaded,” the RAlpin boss continued. As a train driver from the Italian subsidiary of SBB Cargo had to be present on the train for safety reasons, the sleeping car on Rolling Landstrasse was a “work place” and had to be certified, the manager explained. As we know, workers in Italy have recently been required to have a “Green Pass” at work.
This is not the first time that a convoy has returned, said Näf, pointing out that there are also other situations in which trains have to return to the departure terminal, such as line closures or bad weather: “Such incidents occur at least three times a year before.”
In order to avoid another such or similar case, RAlpin introduced “strict controls” at its terminals in Freiburg im Breisgau and Novara, whereby truck drivers without a certificate or “green pass” would be turned away. Many of them come from Eastern Europe, where there is great skepticism about vaccinations or where the vaccine types recognized by the European Union (EU) are not available, according to Näf. (awp / mc / ps)
RAlpin
Company information at monetas
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