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Why Switzerland is building a new Geneva to Lausanne train line

Swiss MPs have green-lighted the construction of a 9-kilometre-long railway tunnel between two Vaud municipalities, extending the track between Geneva and Lausanne.

Published: 28 February 2024 12:25 CET
Why Switzerland is building a new Geneva to Lausanne train line
Works along railroad tracks disrupt traffic. Photo: SBB media

Swiss MPs have green-lighted the construction of a railway tunnel between two Vaud municipalities.

After the acceptance of the move by the Council of States in December, the National Council has also given its approval this week to an ambitious 1.3-billion-franc project to build a train tunnel along the 9-km section along Lake Geneva.

The tunnel, which will connect the communities of Morges and Perroy in canton Vaud, will be part of a larger project aiming to extend the track between Lausanne and Geneva.

Why is this tunnel in western Switzerland important for the entire country?

The Swiss rail network, especially the InterCity (IC) trains that criss-cross the breadth and width of the entire country, is tightly interconnected.

Therefore, if there is a disruption on any segment of the network, it will have a domino effect on other parts of the country, causing delays along the way.

And if there is one thing the Swiss absolutely loathe, it is delays — whether of their own trains or those arriving from Germany.

READ ALSO: Why Switzerland beats Germany for reliable trains

It so happens that the 66-kilometre-long track connecting Lausanne to Geneva has had some major problems in recent years, including a hole in the ground that had formed between the tracks, paralysing traffic on the line. 

This, and other traffic-disrupting incidents, have prompted legislators to try to find a mutually acceptable solution — especially since the Lausanne to Geneva line “is used by 70,000 people per day, and when it experiences problems, all of Switzerland is affected,” according to MP Johanna Gapany.

And, as another deputy, Charles Juillard, explained, when it comes to railroad improvement projects, “French-speaking Switzerland is significantly behind schedule, and construction sites are not progressing at the pace they should.” 

Track versus tunnel

Even though a third track between the two cities would have been cheaper to create, MPs decided a tunnel would be a better option.

Besides the risk of the local population opposing the lengthy above-the-ground construction process, the tunnel will create a better ‘avoidance route’ in the event of disruptions on the main line between Lausanne and Geneva, according to MP Hans Wicki.

“It will also increase capacity [on the line] and give more flexibility to operations,” he added.

Now that it has been approved, the new project could see the light (at the end of the tunnel) between 2035 and 2040.

READ ALSO: Five things you didn’t know about Switzerland’s rail network

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TRAVEL NEWS

Why is Switzerland going to collect a database of flight passengers?

Twenty years after the US began sharing a database of those flying in and out of the country in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, Switzerland is set to follow suit - but not without some outside pressure. 

Published: 16 May 2024 15:51 CEST
Why is Switzerland going to collect a database of flight passengers?

Passenger Name Record (PNR) systems are databases that operate by flagging and tracking individuals who may pose a security risk. 

The data includes the name, destination, means of payment, and type of baggage for each passenger arriving or leaving a country via its airports. 

Until now, Switzerland has not participated in a PNR system in a way that allows data to be freely accessible to partners such as the EU and the US. 

Indeed, for years, it has been possible to circumvent the EU’s PNR systems by flying into Switzerland and crossing a land border with the EU. 

Now, however, Switzerland is being forced to comply. 

The United States has threatened Switzerland’s place in their Visa Waiver Program unless they share data. 

Similarly, the EU has applied significant diplomatic pressure to join their efforts – and considerable progress has already occurred, with agreements signed. 

Other countries have also signalled that Swiss carriers may withdraw their landing rights or impose heavy fines if Switzerland does not begin participating in a compliant PNR system. 

Changes in effect 2026

On Wednesday, Justice Minister Beat Jans announced at a press conference that a PNR program that worked in collaboration with other countries would come into effect in 2026. 

The reason given for the length of time it would take to go into effect was that a legal basis for the move does not yet exist in Swiss law—a dispatch on proposed legislation has only just been sent to the Federal Council.

Once passed by the Federal Council and then by the Council of States, the federal police will be responsible for tracking passengers via a new group – the Passenger Information Unit (PIU). 

The PIU will examine passenger manifests a day before and immediately before flights taking off or landing and compare them to shared lists of individuals involved in terrorism, organised crime, or who have committed violent crimes. 

If there is a match, information will be forwarded to authorities at the relevant airport.  

Privacy concerns 

Understandably, for the privacy-conscious Swiss, concerns have been raised. 

Both the right-wing SVP, the Greens and the SPD have voiced doubts about the security and privacy of passenger data. 

In response, the government has announced that all passenger data except for that relates to those linked to terrorist groups will be deleted after six months. 

To further ease concerns, Switzerland’s PNR system will be constantly monitored by the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner to ensure compliance with the Data Protection Act.

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