en.Wedoany.com Reported - Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) has held a groundbreaking ceremony for the MehrSpur Zurich-Winterthur expansion project, centered on the 9-kilometer Brütten Tunnel, which upgrades a 30-kilometer corridor. Swiss Federal Transport Minister Albert Rösti, Zurich Cantonal Councillor Martin Neukom, and SBB CEO Vincent Ducrot attended the ceremony in Bassersdorf, which will serve as the main construction hub. The project will increase line capacity to 900 trains per day, serving over 150,000 passengers, with funding drawn from the federal railway infrastructure fund totaling CHF 3.3 billion (approximately EUR 3.53 billion).
The MehrSpur project adds a fourth track along the 30-kilometer Zurich-Winterthur axis and constructs a 9-kilometer twin-tube single-track tunnel beneath the Brütten area. In addition to the tunnel, plans include comprehensive modernization of stations in Dietlikon, Bassersdorf, Wallisellen, and Winterthur Töss, as well as expansion of access infrastructure. Total daily capacity will increase by 30%, accommodating commuter, intercity, and freight services simultaneously. Tunnel excavation will begin in 2029, with phased completion from 2028 to 2037, and the entire corridor is expected to be fully operational by 2037.
The project contract is named MehrSpur Zurich-Winterthur (Four-Track Expansion and Brütten Tunnel), with a total value of CHF 3.3 billion (EUR 3.53 billion). Participants include SBB (project lead), the Swiss federal government, and the Canton of Zurich. In terms of timeline, tunnel excavation starts in 2029, phased station work runs from 2028 to 2037, and the entire corridor becomes operational in 2037 (specific dates not yet confirmed).
In comparison with similar projects, there are currently no publicly comparable data for independent Swiss railway tunnel projects. The Brütten Tunnel is one of the flagship projects of SBB's Strategic Development Program (STEP) 2035, which commits over CHF 13 billion to nationwide railway capacity enhancements (Source: SBB, 2023). The Zurich-Winterthur corridor upgrade aligns with Switzerland's 2025 urban railway investment trends, with funding priorities shifting toward decarbonization and smart analytics to reduce resource consumption and operational emissions (Source: Industry Market Analysis, 2025).
The MehrSpur project eliminates the largest single-point bottleneck on Switzerland's east-west main line, directly connecting the country's economic engine to the national rail network. By providing a bypass route for the core of the S-Bahn system and establishing 15-minute intervals as a baseline, SBB is not only increasing capacity but also reshaping the operational timetable for the next three decades. Passenger demand in Switzerland is expected to grow by 30% by 2040 (Source: Swiss Federal Office of Transport, 2024), and this investment locks in advantages that support a shift in the country's transport policy approach. During construction, SBB will carry out installation work at night to maintain most daytime services, with temporary timetable adjustments for Zurich S-Bahn lines beginning in December 2026, alongside measures to mitigate noise, vibration, and community impacts. Upon completion, the line will handle 900 trains per day, increase capacity by 30%, transport over 150,000 passengers daily, and allow for additional freight services on this busy corridor.
