Five injured as Swiss train derails near Goppenstein in heavy snow

# Five injured as Swiss train derails near Goppenstein in heavy snow

Event date: 2026-02-16

Five people have been injured after a train derailed near Goppenstein in southern Switzerland, with police saying an avalanche may have crossed the tracks just before the train passed.

The derailment happened around 07:00 local time as the regional commuter train was travelling from Spiez to Brig and exiting the Lotschberg rail tunnel, according to BBC News. All 29 passengers were rescued.

One of the injured was taken to hospital, while the others were hurt less seriously. That casualty pattern suggests a derailment serious enough to injure passengers but not to cause a mass-casualty disaster.

Police said the area was already under an avalanche warning and that the region had experienced heavy rain and snow in recent days. Switzerland’s Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research had also said the avalanche risk was very high across the Alps.

The circumstances point to winter weather as the likely backdrop. Authorities have not said the avalanche was confirmed as the direct cause, but they did say initial findings suggested one may have crossed the tracks shortly before the train arrived.

That distinction matters. It keeps the report firmly inside the evidence: there is a suspected avalanche link, an ongoing investigation and a set of injuries that are serious but limited.

Goppenstein is a key hub for road and rail transport, sitting at the exit of the Lotschberg tunnel. Any disruption there affects more than one train line because it is part of an important mountain transport corridor.

The broader weather context was severe enough that 50 people were evacuated from the village of Orsieres, near the French border. Authorities also warned skiers to stay on marked slopes and advised people in the mountains to check avalanche bulletins before heading out.

The report does not identify the train operator or give a full engineering assessment of the derailment. It also does not say whether the train overturned or how many cars left the tracks.

Still, the case underlines the hazards of rail travel in alpine winter conditions. Even a short window of avalanche activity can put passengers and crews at risk when a train emerges from a tunnel into exposed terrain.

The public prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation, so the cause may become clearer as experts examine the line, weather and timing. For now, police are treating the avalanche explanation as a strong early possibility rather than a final conclusion.

The important verified facts are simple: five people were injured, all passengers were rescued, and investigators believe an avalanche may have crossed the tracks immediately before the derailment. In a country accustomed to managing winter risk, that combination is still a stark reminder of how quickly mountain weather can turn dangerous.