Audit office challenges Rösti’s rail and road expansion plans

Switzerland’s Federal Audit Office has criticised the government’s plans to expand rail and roads, while cantons, associations and experts have also expressed incomprehension, SRF reports. The most controversial projects include the Grimsel Tunnel, several motorway expansions and a planned through station in Lucerne.

Grimsel Tunnel faces strongest opposition

The Grimsel Tunnel has come under sustained criticism despite being one of the few major projects given priority. It could create a rail link between Innertkirchen in the canton of Bern and Oberwald in Valais, while also accommodating a high-voltage power line. Costs are estimated at around 800 million francs, but critics question its benefits.

The Federal Audit Office described the planned tunnel as a clear case of inefficient use of public funds. Transport Minister Albert Rösti has been accused of prioritising the project because he comes from the Bernese Oberland. The Grimsel Tunnel interest group supports the plan, as do several prominent parliamentarians who hold positions on railway boards.

Audit office questions motorway expansions

The motorway between Aarau East and Birrfeld is planned to be widened to six lanes. The Federal Audit Office said it could not understand the assessment behind the project, arguing that alternative measures had not been considered. Converting the hard shoulder for other uses could be more efficient, it said.

The Perly to Bernex expansion, estimated to cost one billion francs, was also described as inefficient. The project should be reviewed again before any decision is made, the auditors said. They added that some motorway projects previously rejected would offer greater economic benefits than those proposed by the government.

Rejected tunnel projects return

Rösti has put several major motorway projects back on the agenda through the “Transport 45” concept, even though voters rejected them. These include the Rhine Tunnel in Basel, the Fäsenstaub Tunnel in Schaffhausen and a third tube for the Rosenberg Tunnel in St. Gallen.

Environmental organisations accused the government of disregarding the popular vote. In Basel, an alliance of more than 25 organisations, political parties and associations is strongly opposing the Rhine Tunnel. Voters in Basel had instead prioritised rail expansion, including the so-called Herzstück, a cross-city suburban rail line. A significantly scaled-down version of the project is included in the next expansion proposal for 2031.

Lucerne through station considered too costly

The transport importance of a through station in Lucerne is rarely disputed, but the project has also drawn sharp criticism. Railway experts and transport planners consider it far too large. The first stage alone is expected to cost around three billion francs, while total costs could exceed five billion.

The planned underground station, with new tunnels and access routes, is also being questioned because it would compete with other projects for limited funding. These include the Grimsel Tunnel, the expansion of Zurich Stadelhofen station, the Zimmerberg 2 rail tunnel and the direct line between Neuchâtel and La Chaux-de-Fonds.