The Sempione railway line is expected to reopen late at night. The blockade was triggered around 4pm after a boulder detached from the mountain side and invaded the tracks below. It happened about 700 meters from the Preglia di Crevoladossola railway station. The train that left Domodossola was supposed to arrive in Briga but along its route it hit the boulder that slipped downstream. The impact was so violent that it damaged the locomotive and derailed the train. The boulder then bounced against the wall protecting the railway. The wall structure was broken in Domodossola, the cables anchored to the wall were damaged while the boulder slid downhill and stopped behind a bench located along the sidewalk of Via Paletta. Area busy with families given the holiday. Some residents of the area triggered the alarm after hearing the roar caused by the collapse of the boulder and the impact of the locomotive with the stone. Fire Brigade, Carabinieri and Railway Police were on site. Railway traffic between Domodossola and Brig was interrupted from around 4pm until around 1am.
