Canton Vaud and the city of Lausanne in western Switzerland have expressed disappointment and concern after federal authorities announced a major delay to construction work already under way at Lausanne rail station, a major hub.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/jc
Italiano
it
I ritardi nell’ammodernamento di un’importante stazione ferroviaria destano preoccupazione
Swiss Federal Railways and the Federal Office of Transport (FOT) announced earlier that underground work on the station square will start in April 2024. The transformation of the platforms should follow in 2026 with a phased implementation between 2030 and 2036.
“The consequent delay that such a choice implies, with commissioning now scheduled for 2038, is unfortunately not a surprise for the City and the Canton, which have repeatedly warned of the difficulties of a project that has been declared a national priority and should have been completed by 2025,” says the joint statement from Vaud and Lausanne.
They said they would work to ensure that “the construction concept presented today guarantees the passage of trains, as well as the functioning of the Lausanne rail hub and the entire Western Switzerland network”. The joint statement also says they “regret the numerous negative repercussions that will continue for the local population, shopkeepers, station users and the companies involved”.
Routes around Lake Geneva, particularly between Lausanne and Geneva, are among the most saturated in Switzerland. Plans originally to 2030 include doubling the capacity of the Lausanne-Geneva line and major upgrade works to stations, especially Lausanne.
The municipal and cantonal authorities said the new concept for the station seemed to be an improvement on the old one, but that the working partnership between Swiss Federal Railways and the FOT set up in 2022 must “enable the new concept for upgrading Lausanne station to be implemented as quickly as possible”.
Officially launched in 2021, the Lausanne station project has been stalled for a year after the FOT requested more information on the statics of the site. The plan also has to be revised to take account of projected higher numbers of passengers. Swiss Federal Railways plans to make the platforms bigger than in the original plans dating from 2012.
Swiss invention: 90-year anniversary of first T-bar ski lift
This content was published on
On Monday it will be 90 years since the world’s first T-bar ski lift went into service in Davos. This Swiss invention was an instant success.
Iran summons Swiss ambassador over US and Italy arrests
This content was published on
Iran has summoned the Swiss ambassador, who represents US interests, to protest against the arrest in the US and Italy of two Iranians.
Swisscom receives greenlight for acquisition of Vodafone Italia
This content was published on
The takeover of Vodafone Italia by Swisscom is nearing completion. All relevant authorities have now approved the €8 billion (CHF7.45 billion) deal.
Novo Nordisk stock market plunge drags down Swiss device maker Ypsomed
This content was published on
The Danish pharmaceutical giant, Novo Nordisk, faced setbacks on Friday that weighed on the share price of Swiss injection device manufacturer Ypsomed.
Swiss press react to EU deal with mix of euphoria and scepticism
This content was published on
Swiss media reaction to the agreement between Switzerland and the EU varies widely. Some are celebrating, while others worry about what is to come.
Swiss Solidarity donations to tackle child abuse top CHF4 million
This content was published on
Swiss Solidarity, the humanitarian arm of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC), has raised over CHF4 million ($4.3 million) to tackle child abuse.
This content was published on
Around 580 train stations across Switzerland will be modernised by the end of 2023 and made more accessible for people with disabilities.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.