All systems go for Ceneri base tunnel
The Swiss federal office for transport (FOT) has authorised SBB (Swiss federal railways) to open the Ceneri base tunnel (CBT) for scheduled traffic.
Passenger trains and freight trains can thus assume regular services through the tunnel as from the timetable change on 13 December 2020 as planned. This completes the NRLA and therefore the flat link through the Alps, enabling Switzerland to boost its efforts to shift traffic off the roads. The new tunnel also provides direct connections between Lugano and Locarno in Ticino.
SBB began its trial runs after the official opening of the tunnel on 4 September 2020. All in all, the railways will have tested around 5,800 passenger and freight trains on this route by the end of the trial period. (ben)