SHARE
COPY LINK

TRAIN TRAVEL

Switzerland mulls new direct Basel – London train connection

A Swiss parliamentarian is calling for a new direct train link running from Switzerland to the UK – but there’s a minor hang-up. 

Could a new rail route connect Basel and London?
Could a new rail route connect Basel and London? Photo by Kenzo TRIBOUILLARD / AFP)

Hop on the train at Basel SBB and exit at London-St Pancras International just 5.5 hours later: that’s the suggestion of Bernese national councillor Matthias Aebischer who has put forward a new plan to the Swiss government which would see Basel and London connected via a direct rail route.

Currently, Switzerland-based travellers choosing to reach England’s capital via rail have to jump on a train at Basel SBB and change at Paris Gare de Lyon. From there, passengers must take the underground train to Paris Gare du Nord and then embark on a connecting train to London St Pancras. While the whole journey from Basel to London takes just over seven hours, many travellers find the changeover to be inconvenient.

Aebischer has now proposed for the Swiss government to liaise with both Britain and France to figure out how a direct daily train link between the two cities could be launched.

Many benefits

According to Social Democrat (SP) politician Aebischer, strengthening rail transport in international traffic is an essential contribution to achieving climate goals as it is a well-known fact that train travel causes far fewer CO2 emissions than air travel. Thus, offering travellers both in Switzerland and the UK a more attractive and convenient alternative to air travel may well encourage more train travel between the two cities, and not only help the environment but also draw more tourists.

In recent years, transport companies have made significant efforts in this regard. The daily connections to Italy and Munich, for example, as well as the range of night trains currently available from Switzerland have been significantly expanded and seen rising demand. 

READ ALSO: What are the best night train routes to and from Switzerland

Platforms would require rebuilding

However, Aebischer also notes that establishing the new train connection – if approved – wouldn’t be smooth sailing since Britain is no longer in the EU. If the cross-Channel link were indeed to see the light of day, Basel’s SBB station would need to be extensively rebuilt.

Since the UK has left the EU and only participates in the Schengen Agreement to a limited extent, boarding the trains in Switzerland would involve both security and passport controls akin to those required at its airports. This also means that the Basel to London trains could only use fixed tracks.

Still, Aebischer insists that what is possible for Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam, should also be feasible for Switzerland – and he’s not alone.

So far, his proposal has been signed by the Basel-based Mitte politician Elisabeth Schneider-Schneiter and the Basel-Stadt LDP representative Patricia von Falkenstein, among others. 

Watch this space! 

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

TRAVEL NEWS

Closure of A13 motorway: The alternative routes from Switzerland to Italy

As summer school break in many Swiss cantons is about to begin, your plans to drive south for the holidays may be seriously disrupted by the closure of one of the main routes between Switzerland and Italy.

Closure of A13 motorway: The alternative routes from Switzerland to Italy

Italy is one of the most favourite summer destinations for many Swiss families: not only is it geographically close enough to get there by car, but it also has abundance of beaches and good weather is almost guaranteed.

But driving to Italy this summer, especially in the next few weeks, will be no simple matter.

Recent massive thunderstorms unleashed a landslide of mud and rubble, which destroyed a part of the north-south axis of the A13 motorway.

The collapsed section, between Thusis (GR) and Bellinzona (TI), is an important throughway for both passenger and commercial traffic, as it connects Switzerland with Italy.

The San Bernardino Pass, which straddles the A13, is consequently closed to traffic, as are the impacted parts of the motorway.

They will remain closed ‘until further notice,’ which is a general and non-specific term — primarily because nobody knows for sure.

According to the Graubünden cantonal police, this section will remain out of service “for months,” while the Federal Roads Office (FEDRO) said it expects “to be able to reopen the A13 in three to four weeks.” 

But even this slightly more optimistic forecast is not definite.

Roads will reopen within this timeframe “only under the assumption that there will be no ‘nasty surprises,’ according to FEDRO. “The clean-up work and reconstruction depends, among other things, on the weather.”

Either way, if you are heading south in the immediate future, expect, as Swiss media reported, “impending traffic chaos.”

To make matters worse, the cantonal road, which is normally used as an alternative, was also damaged by the storm, and is closed to transit and through traffic in both directions.

What alternative south-bound routes are there?

FEDRO recommends the Gotthard route — either via the tunnel or the Pass.

There are other options as well, though they will take longer:

In Switzerland:

  • Over the Oberalp and Lukmanier passes
  • Over the Julier and Maloja passes
  • Over the Albula and Bernina passes via Poschiavo
  • Over the Grimsel and Nufenen passes
  • Through the Lötschberg car transport and the Simplon pass
  • From the Brünig pass road via Grimsel and Simplon
  • Via Martigny over the Great St. Bernard

Alternative routes abroad, for which fees may apply:

  • Via South Tyrol
  • Via Geneva through the Mont Blanc tunnel
  • Via Geneva, Annecy and the Fréjus tunnel

Will you be able to avoid traffic jams on these alternate routes?

It is highly doubtful.

During the holiday season, there is almost always congestion and bottlenecks in front of the Gotthard Tunnel, the Great St. Bernard, and the Lötschberg.

Traffic could be lighter if you avoid peak travel hours and weekends, but don’t expect miracles.

You can find real-time information about traffic jams and road conditions here:

TCS

strassen.gr.ch

Should you travel by train instead?

It is always a good idea if you want to reduce your carbon footprint, and trains are typically a more relaxing and reliable way to travel.

Except this summer.

From June 9th, and for at least three months, the train service between Italian cities of Domodossola and Milan will be interrupted due to railway works, also disrupting travel between western Switzerland and Italy.

A bus service set up by Swiss national railway company, SBB, will run between the two cities, adding at least an hour to the trip in the best traffic conditions.

But train traffic to and from other countries — including France, Germany, and Austria — will be chaotic as well.

You can find more information about these disruptions here:

READ ALSO: Why you should not rely on trains to and from Switzerland this summer 

SHOW COMMENTS