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What you need to know about rail disruption in Basel this spring

If you live in or near Basel, be prepared to put up with many train cancellations and other disruptions as Swiss national railway is ‘carrying out extensive expansion and maintenance work’.

Published: 14 March 2024 15:55 CET
What you need to know about rail disruption in Basel this spring
The west wing of Basel's central train station. Photo: SBB media

“The construction work will lead to train cancellations, changed travel times and connections,” the company, SBB, said on its website.

Not being able to rely on Switzerland’s (usually very reliable) rail system will surely be a headache for commuters living, or transiting through, one of the country’s busiest train stations.

But it may be reassuring to know that the “the aim of these projects is to increase train connections and ensure that train services continue to be safe and punctual,” SBB said.

What exactly is being ‘improved’?

“The expansion projects will enable quarter-hourly service on the S-Bahn between Basel and Liestal and half-hourly service on long-distance services on the Basel–Delémont–Biel/Bienne line by the end of 2025,” SBB said. “At the same time, maintenance projects are carried out to ensure safe and punctual train services.”

In all, a total of around 1.7 billion francs will be invested in the infrastructure in the Basel area for expansion projects. There are also extensive maintenance projects, such as the basic repair of the Hauenstein base tunnel, for 140 million francs.

Which services will be disrupted, and when?

Travelers in the Basel area will be particularly affected on the weekend from March 16th to 18th, 2024.

According to SBB, construction will take place at Basel SBB train station, in Muttenz, in Laufental and in Fricktal. Construction work is also taking place across the border on French and German territory.

Timetable restrictions from March 13th, 2024 in Fricktal

On the Basel–Frick–Brugg AG–Zurich HB route there will be adjustments to the timetable from March 13th to June 24th and from August 11th to November 8th, 2024 due to the renovation of the Mühlebach Bridge.

The InterRegio trains are temporarily canceled between Rheinfelden and Frick, and replacement buses run between Möhlin and Stein-Säckingen instead of the S1.

Basel–Olten: timetable restrictions at night and on weekends

The SBB is completely renovating the Hauenstein Base Tunnel on the Basel–Olten railway line – one of the main axes of Swiss passenger and freight transport.

That’s why the timetable will be adjusted from Sunday to Thursday evening from 10 pm throughout the 2024 timetable year.

From Sunday evening, July 7th, to Monday morning, August 12th, 2024, one of the two tunnel tracks will also be closed. From mid-November, the tunnel will be completely closed for four weekends. The single-track closure and the total closures lead to travel time adjustments, diversions and train cancellations with replacements.

Laufental: timetable restrictions at night and on weekends
 
So that the long-distance trains Basel–Laufen–Delémont–Biel/Bienne can run every half hour in the future, the SBB is expanding the railway line between Grellingen and Duggingen to double track. As a result, the route must be closed on several weekends and nights between January 19th and October 7th, 2024, and replacement buses will run.
 
Where can you find further information about the disruptions?

Through your SBB app, or online at this link, which is updated in real time. 

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For members

TRAVEL NEWS

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

Travellers are urged to switch from air to rail to protect the environment. But international train connections to and from Swiss cities will be derailed in the coming months.

Published: 10 May 2024 11:36 CEST
Why you should not rely on trains to and from Switzerland this summer

If you’re planning to go abroad by train this summer, arm yourself with patience.

The reason is the abundance of construction sites across Europe, which slow down, or disrupt altogether, the train schedule.

In Switzerland, railroad maintenance work is carried out at night in order not to disturb the daytime timetable. Some neighbouring countries, however, “have decided to completely close train lines for the duration of the works”, Swiss media reports.

As a result, train travel to and from Switzerland will be chaotic amid the summer holiday rush.

Let’s look at Italy first

One of the most popular vacation destinations for Swiss tourists will become less accessible in the coming months.

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 will run between the two cities, adding at least an hour to the trip in the best traffic conditions.

However, this plan is not acceptable to Swiss national railway company SBB.

“Given the scale of the work, we are considering setting up direct buses from Geneva and Lausanne to Milan via the Grand Saint-Bernard tunnel,” the company said. “We are planning around three buses in each direction every day.”

Italy’s inability to ensure smoother travel “is embarrassing”, according to Bruno Stormi, who sits on the Transport Committee in the Swiss parliament.

“When the freight train derailed in the Gotthard Base Tunnel last August, the SBB was able to reorganise the traffic within three days,” he pointed out.

The responsibility for the Domodossola – Milan disruption lies with Italy, “because the section concerned is operated by Trenitalia”, he added.

Another MP, Simon Stadler, also pointed out that “Switzerland is very dependent on foreign countries for international rail connections. Our room for maneuver is very limited in this area.”

And that brings us to France

The construction work under way north of the French city of Dijon will result, from August 13th to December 14th, in fewer TGV trains running from Monday to Friday from Zurich and Lausanne to Paris, and back.

Detours via Strasbourg will be possible on the line linking Zurich to Paris.

Germany and Austria

Those wishing to travel by train to Switzerland’s two other neighbour countries will also have a bumpy ride.

Due to construction, trains from Basel to Hamburg will be canceled from July 15th to December 14th.

The Zurich-Stuttgart line will also not be served continuously between August 3rd and September 6th.

Those travelling to Austria must seek their own solutions when the line between Buchs (SG) and Feldkirch will be closed from August 10th to September 9th. Replacement options are still being developed.
 
READ ALSO: Why a Swiss-EU deal could be bad news for train users in Switzerlan

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