by Keri Allan
Published
Construction is now underway on the Ligerz tunnel in Bern, Switzerland.
This is part of a project to eliminate a bottleneck between La Neuveville and Twann: a 4.5-kilometre-long section of single track and the last of its kind on the southern Jura line.
By expanding this section to double track and constructing the 2.1km-long tunnel, Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) will be able to increase rail capacity and improve timetable stability.
The tunnel will also help minimise railway noise for local residents.
Funded by the Railway Infrastructure Fund (BIF), the estimated cost of the project is approximately 431 million CHF (426.2m euros | 464m USD).
Preparatory work on the expansion project began at the end of 2021 including earthworks around the location of the future tunnel’s west portal.
Track geometry is also currently being adjusted in a curve near Poudeille in order to enable trains to run faster on this section and work on the cut-and-cover section of the tunnel, using bored piles, will begin this summer.
Tunnel construction will start in earnest next year. Due to restrictions related to its location, the tunnel will be excavated using conventional blasting in order to reuse as much of the excavated material as possible.
SBB is taking numerous measures to protect residents from construction noise including building sound-absorbing walls around construction site areas and night-time work will be kept to a minimum.
A ground-breaking ceremony for the tunnel was recently attended by Christoph Neuhaus from the Canton of Bern government, Anna Barbara Remund, Deputy Director of the Federal Office of Transport (FOT) and Peter Kummer, Head of the SBB Infrastructure Division.
Here they unveiled a digital impression of the future western tunnel portal.
This project has been a long time coming. Plans for a double-track expansion of the Jura-Südfusslinie was put forward by SBB back in 1942, however the expansion of the cantonal road in La Neuveville was considered a bigger priority.
After several attempts, the project was finally relaunched by SBB in 2013.
Construction of the double track expansion and Ligerz tunnel is scheduled for completion by the end of 2026.
Stadler will manufacture and deliver an automated rack-and-pinion rail vehicle for Appenzeller Bahnen’s Rheineck–Walzenhausen rail link.
The Rhaetian Railway (RhB) has inaugurated two new fire and rescue vehicles (LöReF) for use in the Vereina tunnel in eastern Switzerland.
SBB Cargo has chosen to lease 35 Vectron AC locomotives from Siemens Mobility. The vehicles will be delivered in 2024.
ÖBB and Deutsche Bahn (DB) have presented a modernised couchette car for ÖBB’s Nightjet service in Austria, Germany and Switzerland.
SüdLeasing GmbH has ordered 20 Vectron multisystem locomotives from Siemens Mobility on behalf of SBB Cargo International.
This autumn the Rhaetian Railway (RhB) will attempt to beat the world record for the longest passenger train.
Swiss rail operator SBB has ordered seven additional Stadler Giruno high-speed trains for cross-border services into Germany from 2026.
SBB, Thurbo, RegionAlps and Stadler have finally signed their framework agreement for up to 510 single-decker FLIRT multiple units.
The Swiss Federal Administrative Court has dismissed Alstom’s appeal against the award of an SBB Thurbo and RegionAlps contract to Stadler.
Berner Oberland-Bahnen has ordered six ABeh 4/8 multiple units from Stadler to expand the Bernese Oberland Railway’s existing rolling stock.
Swiss International Air Lines and SBB Swiss Federal Railways are expanding and renaming their intermodal rail/air travel product.
Private Swiss rail operator BLS will begin operating MIKA (Stadler FLIRT) trains in the Lucerne West region from December 2024.
Testing of a digital automatic coupling (DAC) for freight rail continues this month with trials by SBB Cargo in Switzerland.
Stadler is taking over German signalling expert BBR Group in order to strengthen its position in the railway signalling market.
Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) has applied for a building permit to expand the railway line between Grellingen and Duggingen to double tracks.
Baselland Transport and Stadler have signed a contract for the manufacture and delivery of 25 TINA (total integrated low-floor drive) trams.
Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) has awarded Stadler a framework agreement for up to 510 new single-decker FLIRT multiple units.
A Swiss news broadcaster has accused the FV-DOSTO trains operated by Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) of being ‘covid catapults’.
BLS will put its first MIKA – a Stadler FLIRT – into service with all 58 trains ordered entering into passenger service by the end of 2024.
The Stadler-manufactured Capricorn trains for Rhaetian Railway (Switzerland) have won the Red Dot Award 2021 in two categories.
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Stadler will supply eight electric multiple units for the Centovalli railway between Switzerland and Italy starting in 2023.
On Sunday, 13 December, timetabled passenger and freight services started operating through the Ceneri Base Tunnel, completing the NRLA.
Zurich will get a further 40 FLEXITY trams as VBZ has signed a contract with Bombardier based on an option in the original 2017 contract.
Passengers had to be evacuated from their train in the Ceneri Base Tunnel due to technical problems with the vehicle.
BLS and Stadler have rolled out the first of the new generation FLIRT trains, named MIKA. The total order is for 58 units.
The Ceneri Base Tunnel has formally opened, completing the New Railway Link through the Alps (NRLA). Regular services will begin in December.
SBB has received the authorisation for test operations in the Ceneri Base Tunnel. SBB will run passenger and freight services from September.
The partial upgrade of the Lötschberg Base Tunnel has entered the next phase, with public consultations on the plans beginning on 17 August.
The first Stadler Geaf 2/2 battery electric shunting locomotive has entered service for Rhaetian Railway at Chur station.
BLS will begin its refurbishment of the Lötschberg Base Tunnel in September following water and sand ingress earlier this year.
The Swiss Federal Office of Transport has confirmed that it will be able to issue the operating licence for the Ceneri Base Tunnel on time.
BLS Cargo has announced it is buying 25 Siemens Vectron multi-system locomotives to operate in Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy.
The private Swiss rail operator BLS is halting the introduction of a new resource planning system. BLS has aborted the roll-out of the new software, which would…
Stadler will deliver new trams to Bern: in a first order with Bernmobil Stadler will supply 27 TRAMLINK trams, with delivery starting in 2023.
Alstom has delivered the first five Coradia Polyvalent Léman Express trains to SNCF. They are due to enter service on 15 December 2019.
SOB and SBB presented their co-operation for two railway lines in Bern. They also presented the Traverso, which will run on the routes.
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Swiss operator BLS has completed the modernisation of its entire fleet of 36 Bombardier RABe 525 NINA electric multiple units.
Alstom will equip eleven Harsco Rail Europe maintenance vehicles for SBB (Swtizerland) with its ATLAS 200 Baseline 3 ETCS solution.
Stadler’s FLIRT Traverso has entered regular passenger service in Switzerland following extensive testing, 3 years after SOB placed the order.
Sven Flore, CEO of SBB Cargo International, gives his thoughts on the Ceneri Base Tunnel, the future of freight, ETCS and more.
After a framework agreement for 100 locomotives announced earlier in May, Stadler is now to supply ten further electric locomotives to ELP.
SBB Cargo installs autocouplers to make coupling freight wagons and locomotives more efficient in shunting yards and last-mile operations.
Following a complaint by SBB, BLS will now not run the two long-distance routes it was awarded in 2018 as it awaits the court’s ruling.
The Railway-News Industry Insider week 16: Stadler presents its new Capricorn train and wins locomotive contract in Finland.
The Federal Office of Transport has published its 2018 progress report on the state of Swiss railway infrastructure projects.
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Alstom has unveiled its first finished Coradia Polyvalent commuter train for the Léman Express project, connecting France and Switzerland.
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Stadler Giruno high-speed train for the Gotthard is given its operating licence by the Swiss Federal Office of Transport. The client is SBB.
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Chinese rolling stock manufacturer CRRC has won a contract for 50 flat cars with Swiss logistics firm Hupac. CRRC is also responsible for TSI certification.
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The Swiss Federal Office of Transport has announced it wants to reduce the price train operators pay for using the rail network starting in 2021.
Swiss Federal Railways is selling its four Re 446 locomotives. They currently operate on the Voralpen-Express route. The Stadler Traverso will replace them.
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A competition held during Stadler’s open day enabled the company to find a name for its new line of high-speed trains: SMILE.
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