PRELIMINARY work is underway on the 9km Brüttener Tunnel, the centrepiece of a SFr 3.3bn ($US 4.18bn) project to widen the Zürich - Winterthur main line in northeastern Switzerland to four tracks, with Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) confirming that it expects to complete the project in 2037.
The new tunnel will form the central section of the upgraded line, connecting Bassersdorf and Dietlikon in the south to its northern portal at Tössmühle near Winterthur. The project aims to ease congestion on the existing line via Effretikon, which is currently operating at full capacity, providing a 30% increase in capacity and enabling faster long-distance services and more frequent regional trains, while improving reliability.
SBB received planning permission for the project in January and it says it has now finalised the construction schedule for the many sub-projects that make up upgrade, including.
- Brüttener Tunnel: designed for 160km/h operation and consisting of two single bores and 20 cross-passages, the tunnel will excavated by tunnel boring machines (TBM). Work will commence in 2029 with commissioning planned in 2037
- Wallisellen station expansion: project to widen platforms, improve access points and underpasses. Construction will start in 2028 for opening at the end of 2032. In addition, a new 580m-long single-track bridge will be built to the west of the station. Construction will start in 2026 with completion planned in 2031
- Dietlikon station expansion: addition of a fourth track, new platform access points, a new pedestrian bridge with lifts, and a new station building. Construction begins in 2027, with planned opening in summer 2032. In addition, the Bahnhofstrasse underpass will be rebuilt at a lower level beneath Dietlikon Tunnel. Construction will begin in 2028, with planned completion in 2031
- Bassersdorf station expansion: addition of new underpasses and step-free access to the platforms. Construction will start in 2027 for commissioning in summer 2030, and
- Winterthur Töss station expansion: addition of new underpass and step-free access. Construction will start in 2027 for commissioning by the end of 2028. In the Neumühle area, an 800m-long single-track bridge will be built over existing tracks. Construction will start in 2027 for commissioning in 2034.
SBB says several other infrastructure improvements will be undertaken between Zurich and Winterthur. Preparatory work is underway across the entire project area, with an official groundbreaking ceremony due to take place in the canton of Zürich this summer.
The upgrade is the single largest project in SBB’s current 2035 strategy, which aims to increase network capacity to accommodate passenger and freight traffic growth as forecast by 2050.
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