High Rhine upgrade puts Schaffhausen on a direct route to St Gallen

The upgrade of the High Rhine railway between Basel and Schaffhausen is expected to improve reliability and enable a direct service to St Gallen, SRF reports.

The approximately 75-kilometre line has been a major construction site since spring. Work includes building several new stops, rebuilding dozens of platforms and installing 130 kilometres of overhead wires. At Waldshut, tracks and platforms have already been removed as part of the work.

The upgrade is expected to enable the High Rhine-Bodensee Express from the end of 2027. It will run from Basel via Schaffhausen and Konstanz to St Gallen and Herisau, without going through Zurich. During peak hours, the additional train is also expected to allow half-hourly services on parts of the route.

Schaffhausen has pressed for the upgrade for around 20 years. The existing connection to Basel is fast but unreliable, said René Meyer, head of the canton’s public transport coordination office. Schaffhausen electrified the section of the line within its borders more than a decade ago.

The Swiss federal government is contributing 50 million francs towards the project, which is expected to cost around 400 million francs. Mobility expert Widar von Arx said the railway reflects how people in border regions travel across national boundaries, even though transport systems are often planned country by country.