Council of States committee wants to increase rail expansion
Published: Wednesday, Nov 22nd 2023, 12:30
Zurück zu Live Feed
The Council of States Committee for Transport and Telecommunications (KVF-S) wants to increase the credits for rail expansion by CHF 250 million in 2025 and 2035. In doing so, it is taking account of regional interests and the balanced development of public transport.
The Commission supports the long-term Rail 2050 strategy and the planned changes to the 2025 and 2035 rail infrastructure expansion programs in principle, as announced by the parliamentary services on Wednesday. However, with a view to balanced development for all regions, it is requesting higher commitment credits.
For example, it wants to allocate an additional CHF 25 million to the continuation of planning for the unbundling in Pratteln BL in the 2025 expansion step. In the 2035 expansion step, the Transport Committee wants to explicitly provide for the expansion of Ebikon LU station, which will increase the credit by CHF 100 million. It is also asking the Council to approve the realization of the Morgartenring in Basel with a credit increase of CHF 15 million.
It increased the credit by CHF 10 million for the project planning of the Tiefenwinkel double-track expansion on the Zurich-Chur axis and for studies on western Switzerland as part of the 2035 expansion step. In order to prevent further timetable deterioration in western Switzerland, additional projects worth CHF 100 million are to be included in the 2035 expansion.
However, the committee rejected a credit increase of CHF 100 million for preliminary investments in the Meilibach Tunnel. This was intended to connect the Zimmerberg base tunnel underground with the Thalwil-Pfäffikon line, but was postponed. According to the parliamentary services, the KVF-S does not want to risk any delays in the construction of the second stage of the Zimmerberg tunnel.
©Keystone/SDA
German 
English 
French 
Spanish 
Arabic