Switzerland

Completion of the Lötschberg Base Tunnel endangered

On 29 September 2017, the Swiss Federal Council presented the submission for the improvement stage of rail infrastructure for 2030/35. In neither of the variants with investment volumes of 7 or 11.5 billion Swiss francs is „the necessary completion of the Lötschberg Base Tunnel included“, criticised the Lötschberg committee, “this does not make sense”. The director of the committee, Council member Viola Amherd said: „the budget for the next improvement stage has to be increased to at least 12 billion.“

The completion is of great importance for the whole of Switzerland and the capital region. The Lötschberg Base Tunnel has to be included in the improvement stage for 2035. Any delay would lead to unnecessary extra costs.

According to the railway company BLS, the Lötschberg Base Tunnel, which opened in 2007, is now operating at full capacity. The reasons for this are on the one hand the rapid growth of passenger and goods traffic and on the other hand its limited capacity due to the long single-track section. Of the total 34.6 km of the tunnel, only 14 km is open with two tracks. Part of the west bore is still under construction and another part has not yet been excavated. The single-track section of 21 km prevents the extension of passenger and goods traffic and leads to high operating costs. The completion of the tunnel, with two tracks is thus urgently necessary according to the BLS.

x

Related articles:

Issue 01/2016 Switzerland

Further Construction of the Lötschberg Base Tunnel

The Swiss private railway company BLS has awarded a contract for design services for the further improvement of the NEAT Lötschberg Base Tunnel to the consortium IG VALB (Ingenieurgemeinschaft...

more
Issue 05/2020 Switzerland

Plans for Further Development of the Lötschberg Base Tunnel Enter Next Stage

The 35 km long Lötschberg Base Tunnel is to be extended over a length of 14 km between Ferden and Mitholz according to the will of the Swiss parliament. This would provide 28 km of double-track...

more
Switzerland

Double-Track Development for Lötschberg Base Tunnel: BLS invites Tenders for Planning

The BLS AG invited tenders for planning the further development of the Lötschberg Base Tunnel on August 17, 2015. The planning work is due to start in 2016. It will embrace the double-track...

more
Issue 05/2010 Switzerland

Bahn 2010 eliminates Bottlenecks

Switzerland in future requires an efficient modern railway system more than ever before. By 2030 it is estimated that there will be an increased demand for up to 30 % more in passenger traffic and up...

more
Issue 03/2020 Switzerland

Water Ingress in the Lötschberg Base Tunnel

The east tunnel of the Swiss Lötschberg base tunnel has already had to be closed three times this year due to water and mud ingress: In February, March and most recently at the end of April 2020. The...

more