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7. September 2020The opening of the Ceneri Base Tunnel for rail traffic represents another milestone for Alptransit. This is also an important moment for freight transport by rail, as transit times are reduced in this area as well. However, the so-called 4-meter corridor still has to wait until the end of the year for its continuity, until the Bözberg Tunnel is opened in December.
(Bellinzona) Federal President Simonetta Sommaruga officially opened the Ceneri Base Tunnel together with Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis and the President of the Ticino State Council, Norman Gobbi. This completes the New Railway Alpine Crossing (NEAT), which was decided in 1992. With this monumental project, Switzerland strengthens its transport policy and alpine protection. Travelers can now travel faster from north to south – and Ticino receives an attractive S-Bahn thanks to the Ceneri. SBB CEO Vincent Ducrot and ATG CEO Dieter Schwank also emphasized the importance of the NEAT for Switzerland and rail transport during the ceremony.
Since the referendum on the NEAT in 1992, many people have been committed to the new flat railway through the Alps. With the completion of the Ceneri Base Tunnel, this commitment is realized. This strengthens Switzerland’s transport policy and alpine protection. Thanks to the NEAT – the centerpiece of the important European freight rail corridor from Rotterdam to Genoa – more goods can be transported by rail instead of by road. For passenger transport, there are more frequent connections between north and south, and Ticino receives a powerful S-Bahn thanks to the Ceneri: travel times between the three cities of Lugano, Locarno, and Bellinzona are halved.
Positive vote for the NEAT was far-sighted
“The NEAT was the impetus for an intelligent transport policy that we can still be proud of today,” said Federal President Sommaruga in her speech. She thanked the population for enabling this monumental project with their yes to the NEAT. “This decision was courageous, and it was far-sighted: for our country and for alpine protection. Thanks to the Ceneri, our transport policy receives a new boost.” Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis highlighted the importance of the NEAT for his home canton of Ticino, as well as for Switzerland and the European continent: it strengthens the European north-south rail freight corridor and enables environmentally friendly freight transport. “With this forward-looking project, we emphasize our belonging to the European continent, which has been a fundamental condition for our prosperity yesterday and today,” said the head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.
The local transport in Ticino also benefits
The President of the Ticino Government, Norman Gobbi, expressed his joy over the quantum leap in public transport made possible by the new S-Bahn and the direct connection between Locarno and Lugano. “The Ceneri Tunnel will change our Ticino identity. Thanks to the rapid connections within our canton, Ticino will become a large city with important ‘neighborhoods’ in the Sopra and Sottoceneri,” said Gobbi.
SBB CEO Vincent Ducrot and Dieter Schwank, CEO of Alptransit Gotthard AG (ATG), also acknowledged the significance of the NEAT in their speeches. Guests at the ceremony included members of the Ticino government, Council of States President Hans Stöckli, as well as delegations from ATG, which built the tunnel, and SBB, which will operate the tunnel. Due to COVID-19, the opening ceremony could only take place in a reduced form.
With the cutting of the opening ribbon, Federal President Sommaruga opened the Ceneri Base Tunnel for traffic. Afterwards, a freight train traveled south through the new structure. The speakers arrived from the south by a train of the Ticino S-Bahn and from the north by an SBB long-distance train. The opening ceremony thus highlighted the important role of the Ceneri Base Tunnel for regional passenger transport, long-distance transport, and freight transport.
Image: © Alptransit
