Swiss Railways (SBB) has been given approval to operate trains through the Simplon Tunnel underneath the Alps to Italy until 2017.
SBB is now licensed to run trains through the tunnel between Brig and Domodossola, allowing the operator to develop services between Valais and Italy.
Repair work was carried out in the Simplon Tunnel after a fire in 2011. The tunnel is currently undergoing further upgrades which are due to be completed in December 2015.
In June, SBB and Trenitalia signed an agreement designed to improve services between the Switzerland and Italy. One of the measures will be to replace the ETR 470 trainsets with new ETR 610 Pendolinos by 2015.
