high-speed rail in Switzerland

To address transalpine freight and passenger bottlenecks on its roads and railways, Switzerland launched the Rail 2000 and NRLA projects.

Image:Knotensystem Schweiz mit Bahn2000 2004.png

{{Unreferenced section|date=September 2024}}{{main|Rail 2000}}

The first stage of the Rail 2000 project finished in 2005, included a new high-speed rail track between Bern and Olten with an operating speed of {{convert|200|km/h|mph|abbr=on|round=5}}.

The second stage of Rail 2000, still in project, includes line upgrades in the Valais canton ({{convert|200|km/h|mph|abbr=on|round=5}}) and between Biel and Solothurn (also {{convert|200|km/h|mph|abbr=on|round=5}}).

Image: Alptransit project overview engl.jpgan rail network.]]

{{main|NRLA}}

New Railway Link through the Alps (NRLA; {{langx|de|Neue Eisenbahn-Alpentransversale, NEAT}}, {{langx|fr|nouvelle ligne ferroviaire à travers les Alpes, NLFA}}, {{langx|it|Nuova ferrovia transalpina, NFTA}}), is a Swiss construction project for faster north-south rail links across the Swiss Alps. It includes three completed base tunnels several hundred metres below the existing apex tunnels, the {{convert|57|km|sing=on}} Gotthard Base Tunnel, the {{convert|35|km|sing=on}} Lötschberg Base Tunnel, and the {{convert|15|km|sing=on}} Ceneri Base Tunnel.{{cite web |url=https://www.alptransit-portal.ch/en/overview/ |title=Overview |publisher=Federal Swiss Archives FSA, Federal Office of Transport FOT |work=AlpTransit Portal |location=Berne, Switzerland |accessdate=2017-07-01}} The NRLA also includes the Zimmerberg Base Tunnel for which only Phase I has been completed, in 2003, with an operating speed of {{convert|160|km/h|abbr=on|round=10}}, and Phase II remains in project.

NRLA project is building faster north-south tracks across the Swiss Alps by constructing base tunnels several hundred metres below the level of the current tunnels. The {{Cvt|35|km}} Lötschberg Base Tunnel opened in 2007 where New Pendolino trains run. The {{Cvt|57|km}} Gotthard Base Tunnel opened on 1 June 2016. The {{Cvt|15|km}} Ceneri Base Tunnel opened on 4 September 2020.

However, the slow speed of lines between the NRLA tunnels (Ceneri Base Tunnel, Gotthard Base Tunnel and Zimmerberg Base Tunnel to name but a few) means that the capacity of Zürich-Milan services will remain limited until the speeds can be increased, given the strong negative effect of mixed rail speeds on capacity.{{cn|date=June 2017}}

{{Unreferenced section|date=September 2024}}Image:SBB Giruno by Stadler (47086627004).jpg in Erstfeld, after its first scheduled run for SBB, May 8, 2019.]]

The fastest Swiss train is the SBB RABe 501, nicknamed Giruno (Romansh for Buzzard). It is operated by the Swiss Federal Railways since May 2016. It only reaches its maximum speed of {{convert|250|km/h|mph|abbr=on|round=5}} in Italy, on the Swiss network it operates at a maximum of {{convert|200|km/h|mph|abbr=on|round=5}}.

The French-Swiss co-operation TGV Lyria and German ICE lines extend into Switzerland, the ICE 4 regularly operates at a maximum of {{convert|200|km/h|mph|abbr=on|round=5}} (between Olten and Bern), while the TGV never exceeds {{convert|160|km/h|abbr=on|round=10}}, due to the lack of a high-speed track between Basel and Zurich.

The former Cisalpino consortium owned by the Swiss Federal Railways and Trenitalia used Pendolino tilting trains on two of its international lines. These trains are now operated by the Swiss Federal Railways and Trenitalia.

{{Annotated image

| image = High Speed Railroad Map of Europe.svg

| image-width = 2000

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| caption = Detail from the map of Europe's high-speed rail lines, showing the Swiss high-speed rail network (colored) and maximum speeds.

{{legend-line|#ae00ff solid 2px| Max operational speed 310-320 km/h}}

{{legend-line|#ff0000 solid 2px| Max operational speed 270-300 km/h}}

{{legend-line|#e39d1a solid 2px| Max operational speed 240-260 km/h}}

{{legend-line|#ffee00 solid 2px| Max operational speed 200-230 km/h}}

{{legend-line|#009804 dotted 2px| Under construction for max operational speed ≥ 200 km/h}}

{{legend-line|#777777 solid 2px| Max operational speed < 200 km/h}}

}}

• High-speed rail in Europe
• High-speed rail in Germany
• High-speed rail in Austria
• High-speed rail in France
• High-speed rail in Italy
• Rail transport in Switzerland
• History of rail transport in Switzerland

{{Reflist}}

{{High-speed rail}}

Category:High-speed rail in Switzerland

{{Switzerland-transport-stub}}