News

New Delhi, 15.09.2020

Cooperation between Switzerland and India

To expand its footprint in the urban transportation sector as a part of its diversification initiatives, India’s largest engineering firm, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), has signed an agreement for cooperation with SwissRapide AG for Maglev Train projects in India.

The MoU was signed by SV Srinivasan, GM and Head (Transportation Business Group), BHEL and Niklaus H Koenig, President and CEO, SwissRapide AG, with the intent to expand BHEL’s footprint in the urban transportation sector as a part of its diversification initiatives.

The agreement has been signed in the backdrop of the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi’s endeavour “Make in India” and the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives. It will enable BHEL to bring the latest, world-class technology to India and manufacture state-of-the-art Maglev Trains indigenously.

The MoU sets out the foundation to cooperate and explore mutually beneficial business opportunities, and utilise both companies’ inherent capabilities, skills, knowledge and assets.

Oslo, 10.03.2020

Norwegian Ultra-Highspeed Maglev Train Project

The President and CEO of SwissRapide, Niklaus H. Koenig, as well as Vice President Aida S. von Schulman met with representatives of organisations in Norway such as Innovasjon Norge and Smart Innovation Norway concerning the development of the Norwegian Ultra-Highspeed Maglev Train Project proposed by SwissRapide.

The Project foresees connecting Oslo and the Gardermoen International Airport with other major cities in Norway such as Bergen, Stavanger and Trondheim via a Maglev Train network with travel time between the cities of less than 90 minutes (road/rail today: 7-9 hours). The Maglev train system would practically eliminate flights and road traffic between the cities, reducing Norway’s carbon footprint by millions of tons annually.

Muscat/Zurich, 09.02.2020

Muscat Maglev Metro Train Project

Based on requests from government representatives in Oman, SwissRapide has launched discussions with major companies in the country concerning the planning and development of the Muscat Maglev Metro Train Project.

The innovative project will not only be the first mass transit system for Oman, but will indeed be the first railway line of any kind in this fascinating country.

Fast, carbon-neutral and energy-efficient, the Project is based on a PPP financing model and aims to attract significant FDI, thus providing a significant economic boost for Oman.

Mumbai/Bangalore/Zurich, 15.12.2019

Mumbai Suburban Maglev Train Project

After meeting with the CEO of Indian Railways, Mr Vinod Kumar Yadav, as well as with further Members of the Board on 25th October 2019, the Joint Venture between SwissRapide AG and Lasane Infra Private Ltd. submitted the Feasibility Study for the Mumbai Suburban Maglev Train (MSMT) Project for In-Principle Approval.

The 57 km long MSMT line will have 11 stations, including the central CSMT Railway Station, the new Mumbai Navi International Airport and the railway hub at Panvel Station. The MSMT Maglev trains will operate at speeds of up to 250 km/h, providing travel times from the CSMT Station to the Navi Airport in under 35 minutes.

Mumbai, 03.09.2019

Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation Ltd (MRVC)

Representatives of SwissRapide AG, Lasane Infra Ltd. and Aravandrud Capital met with the Chairman & Managing Director as well as further senior members of MRVC concerning the development of a new highly sustainable Maglev Metro line in Mumbai. The talks included the finalisation and submission of the Detailed Project Report for the Line, which will connect the downtown area of the city with the new Navi Mumbai International Airport currently under construction in the State of Maharashtra, including a number of intermediate stops.

Bengaluru, 02.09.2019

Bengaluru and Kerala Maglev Rail Projects

SwissRapide CEO Niklaus König met with executives from Lasane Infra Ltd. and Aravandrud Capital to discuss the further development of the proposed Bengaluru Maglev Metro project, which will connect the downtown areas in the capital of the State of Karnataka with the Kempegowda International Airport of Bengaluru, including a number of intermediate stops. Further developments in the proposed Kerala Highspeed Maglev Project were discussed, which is to connect 10 major cities in the State of Karnataka on the 531 km line.

Dubai, 19.12.2018

Dubai Maglev Metro

CEO Niklaus König and Vice-President Aida von Schulman met with representatives of the one of the largest urban planning and property development organisations in the UAE to discuss the SwissRapide proposal for a Highspeed Maglev Metro connection from the Dubai International Airport and connecting the Festival City Mall, the new Dubai Creek Harbour and Tower development, and extending to the downtown area around the Burj Khalifa Tower, the world tallest building. Extensions to Sharjah, the Al Maktoum International Airport as well as further destinations in Dubai and Abu Dhabi are also part of the SwissRapide project proposal.

Dubai, 09.03.2016

Middle East Rail Conference

CEO Niklaus H. König was invited to present the SwissRapide Express projects in Switzerland to over 500 international delegates at the Middle East Rail Conference in Dubai. The innovative SwissRapide PI2 financing model as well as potential SwissRapide-based Maglev projects in the Middle East were also presented by Mr. König. Within the scope of the conference, talks were also held with Hyperloop Technologies Inc. CEO Rob Lloyd and Hyperloop Vice President Knut Sauer, as well as with representatives from the Oman Rail Company, AECOM, ABB and CANARAIL.

Basel, 16.06.2015

SwissInnovation Challenge

In competition with over 100 innovative companies, SwissRapide AG has been selected as finalist in the SwissInnovation Challenge being promoted by the Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz FHNW. In the jury evaluation, SwissRapide achieved top marks concerning the aims and benefits as well as in the presentation of the company's endeavours in the area of Maglev railway systems. The SwissInnovation Challenge is being sponsored by the Basellandschaftliche Kantonalbank and by the Wirtschaftskammer Baselland, and is supported by numerous companies and organisations in Switzerland.

London, 11.04.2014

The Future of European Rail Conference

At the leading senior strategic event in the rail industry, which brought together some of the most forward-thinking innovators from both passenger operators and infrastructure managers, the President and CEO, Niklaus H. Koenig presented the SwissRapide Express Project, including key strategic aspects, to over 100 senior railway representatives. Further international key speakers included Alain Barbey, CEO of TGV Lyria;Ilona Dávid, President-Director General of MÁV Co; Jean-Marc Janaillac, President and CEO of Transdev, Tim Smart, Head of Engineering & Operations HS2 and Dr Thomas Kaufmann, Principle Administrator, Unit European Single Rail Area, DG MOVE.

Zurich, 16.10.2013

Lifefair Forum "Transportation" 2013

Representatives of SwissRapide AG attended the Lifefair Forum "The way forward in the Swiss Transportation Politics" ("Wohin steuert die Schweizer Verkehrspolitik?"), which included over 100 further key players from the transport sector in Switzerland. Speakers and panel members at the forum included Doris Leuthard, Federal Minister for Energy, Transportation, Environment and Communication, Ernst Stocker, Canton of Zurich Director for Economy, Dr. Kathrin Amacker, Member of the Management Board of Swiss Federal Railways SBB AG, Ulrich Walt, Head of Logistics, Holcim Switzerland and Bastien Girod, Green Party Member of Parliament. One of the key results of the forum was that a majority of the plenum showed a willingness to pay more for mobility in Switzerland, the confirmation of a trend in Swiss transportation politics that further supports the business case for the SwissRapide Express project.

Zurich, 22.11.2012

IUB Engineering AG joins the SwissRapide Consortium

IUB Engineering AG, represented by their Managing Director, Olivier Aebi, has joined the SwissRapide Consortium as Gold Member. IUB Engineering based in Berne, Switzerland employees 250 experts and support staff in 7 offices around the country, and specialises in the construction of hydro-power plants, waterway works, road, bridge and tunnel construction, railway construction, energy production systems and networks, as well as electronic transportation and communication systems.

Berlin, 13.03.2012

Future of European Rail Conference

The President and CEO, Niklaus H. Koenig, and Dr. Matthias Kummer, Director SwissRapide Energy presented the SwissRapide Express project to high-ranking representatives of leading European railways at the Future of European Rail Conference in Berlin. Other key speakers included Pierre Messulam, Strategy Director at SNCF; Alain Barbey, CEO of TGV Lyria; Garry White, Head of European Affairs for Network Rail; Marjon Kaper, Commercial Director at NS Hispeed; Libor Lochman, Executive Director of CER; and Dr. Stefan Wehinger, Managing Director of Westbahn. Niklaus Koenig was also a panel member at the conference in discussions with the plenum concerning innovative solutions to meet the mobility demands of the future in Europe.

Zürich, 20.10.2011

Visit to the Transrapid Test Line in Emsland (TVE)

Together with partner companies as well as representatives from politics and the press, the SwissRapide consortium visited the Transrapid Test Line in Germany (TVE). Also on board were five representatives from Turkey, who are evaluating a project to construct a high-speed Maglev line between Istanbul and Ankara. The guests from SwissRapide could ride in the newest maglev vehicle TR09 and were impressed how smoothly the maglev train levitated. The visit included two runs on the test line at speeds up to 320km/h, the inspection of the technical systems, the guideway and the point systems. Unfortunately, the future of the 30 year old test track is uncertain, since the German government is no longer willing to cover the operational costs of the test line and even considers a dismantling of the facility. Thus this may have been the last visit to the Transrapid Test Line.

Daejeon, Korea, 11.10.2011

SwissRapide AG at the Maglev 2011 International Conference

With over 200 delegates and experts from 5 continents around the world, Niklaus H. Koenig, President and CEO of SwissRapide AG, presented the status of the SwissRapide Express® Project as well as the unique PI2 financing model developed by SwissRapide AG together with its partner companies. With the set-back of the extension project in Shanghai, the SwissRapide Express® Project has now become one of the most advanced Maglev railway projects in the world. Project financing was one of the central themes at the 4-day conference in Korea, with several delegates from other Maglev projects worldwide showing considerable interest in the SwissRapide PI2 financing model. Also included in the conference programme was a visit to the Korean Urban Maglev system, currently under development by the Korean Institute of Machinery & Materials in co-operation with Hyundai Rotem.

Basel, 19.10.2010

The SwissRapide Express® at Global Energy Basel

SwissRapide AG has been chosen to make a unique presentation of the SwissRapide project to international banks and investors at the first ever Global Energy Basel “Sustainable Infrastructure Financing Summit” on 11th / 12th January 2011. SwissRapide was chosen both for its ground-breaking concept to bring Swiss cities together via ultra-fast connections thus creating “Switzerland, the Big City”, as well as for the focus on sustainable mobility throughout the life-cycle of the project. Other key sustainable infrastructure projects worldwide chosen to be presented include the California High Speed Rail project, Bangalore Metro and the Desertec project. Guest speakers to the summit include Michael Bloomberg, Mayor of New York; David Miller, Mayor of Toronto; John Jackman, Director, Macquarie Capital Advisors; Amitabh Kant, CEO & Managing Director, Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development Corporation and Christoph Frei, Secretary General, World Energy Council.

Zurich, 13.09.2010

New partners for the cost calculation

On Wednesday 18. August the kick-off workshop between representatives of STRABAG Switzerland, Züblin Stuttgart, and SwissRapide AG took place. The workshop was in order to discuss the collaboration on the detailed cost calculation for the construction of the SwissRapide route from Zurich to Berne. Project director and CEO Niklaus H. König: “This is a very important step for the SwissRapide project regarding the feasibility study and concerning the acquisition of the concession at the Swiss Federal office of Transport (BAV). We thank you our partners cordially for this cooperation and for the generous provision of experts for these duties.” In accordance with the agreement the detailed cost calculation should be completed by the end of this year.

Lausanne, 30.06.2010

SwissRapide Express® West

This month, SwissRapide AG, together with its partner companies Swiss Railway Engineering SRE GmbH and Farner Consulting AG, launched the SwissRapide West Maglev Project between Lausanne and Geneva. The aim of the project is to plan and construct a high-speed maglev line reducing travel time between Lausanne und Geneva from 35 minutes today to only 10 minutes. With departures every 5 minutes in dense traffic times, SwissRapide West also will provide at least 6 times more capacity than today, in order to satisfy the high demand between these two cities. The preliminary concept also foresees the extension of the line from the Geneva main train station to the international airport in the city. This project supplements the SwissRapide Central project between Berne and Zurich, for which the preliminary feasibility study, the financing model and business case as well as the business plan have been completed to date.

Zürich, 17.03.2010

ThyssenKrupp and Max Bögl join SwissRapide

On 17th March 2010, ThyssenKrupp Transrapid and Max Bögl have joined the project as partner companies.

Zürich, 17.12.2009

Presentation of SwissRapide project to Swiss Federal Office

On 17th December 2009, the SwissRapide project was presented to the Swiss Federal Office of Transport (BAV). Discussions were held concerning the future co-operation between the federal government and SwissRapide.

Zürich, 07.12.2009

SwissRapide AG becomes a member of Swiss Cleantech Association

On 7th December 2009, SwissRapide AG became founding member of the Swiss Cleantech Association. Swiss Cleantech President Nick Beglinger and SwissRapide AG President & CEO, Niklaus H. König, agreed on a continuing close co-operation between the two organisations

Zürich, 06.10.2009

Farner Consulting supports project

Farner Consulting is supporting the SwissRapide project in the areas of communication, public relations and marketing, as of 6th October 2009.

Winterthur, 19.06.2009

SwissRapide "Going Public"

After three years of intensive project work, the SwissRapide project held its first public media conference at the "Unjurierten" in Winterthur on Friday, 19 June 2009. At the same event, the sculpture "SwissRapide and The Big City" by Chris Pierre Labüsch was launched as part of the SwissRapide Sponsoring Platform.

Zurich, 02.06.2009

Award for SwissRapide

IDEE-SUISSE honoured the SwissRapide Project with the Swiss "Innovation of the Month" award. In addition, SwissRapide has been nominated for the "Golden Creativity Award 2010" by IDEE-SUISSE. Project Director Niklaus H. König: "We would like to thank IDEE-SUISSE for this excellent award and for the recognition of our innovative work in many areas of the project."

Lathen, 29.05.2009

Visit to the Transrapid Test Line in Emsland (TVE)

Representatives of the SwissRapide consortium and partner companies visited the Transrapid test line in Germany (TVE) and were the first public visitors to ride on the new TR09 maglev vehicles. The visit included two runs on the test line at speeds close to 400 km/h, a viewing of the guideway and point systems as well as strategic talks with representatives of IABG mbH, owner and operator of the TVE.

Zurich, 21.07.2008

SwissRapide Consortium, New Gold Member

IM Ingegneria Maggia SA became new Gold Member of the SwissRapide consortium. Thanks to Mauro Pellegrini, CEO of IM Ingegneria Maggia SA and President of Swiss Engineering STV, contact to the Project could be made. We welcome IM Ingegneria Maggia SA who bring a high level of competence and a broad range of experience to the project.