By Ashley Karen
In June, Swiss Federal Railways is to launch a public consultation on projects to construct a new double-track line containing a 9 km tunnel which, along with the current route, would deliver a total of four tracks between Zürich and Winterthur.
The new alignment would present faster journey times and a 30% growth in capacity to promote an upsurge in services to 900 S-Bahn and long-distance trains per day on the route.
MehrSpur Zürich–Winterthur is the biggest project within the federal government’s Ausbauschritt 2035 rail investment program.
The principal element of the project would be building the Brüttener tunnel to deliver a more direct route than the current line. Developed for 160 km/h running, this would have two 10 m diameter single track bores connected by 20 cross passages.
The northern end of the tunnel would be at Tössmühle near Winterthur. Near the southern end, the tunnel would divide into branches, one towards Bassersdorf and the airport and the other to Dietlikon and Zürich HB.
The new alignment would incorporate flying junctions with the current lines. Stations like Dietlikon, Bassersdorf, Wallisellen and Winterthur Töss would be modernized as well.
The journey times between Zürich Stadelhofen and Winterthur would be cut by 2 to 4 min and from Zürich Flughafen to Winterthur by 3 to 4 min. Nevertheless, the most rapid services between Zürich HB and Winterthur over the new alignment would take 16 min.
When the government gives the green light for the project, a standard timescale for construction is to be drawn up. However, it is anticipated that main works could begin in the mid-2020s for commencement in the mid-2030s.
The cost is envisioned to be SFr2·9bn and would be financed by the Railway Infrastructure Fund, which is funded by the federal government and cantons.
