SwissRapide Express Central
In 20 minutes from Berne to Zurich
every 5 minutes
In the SwissRapide Express Central Project, a fast and reliable connection between Berne and Zurich main train stations is currently in planning.
Based on numerous discussions with experts in Switzerland, Germany and China (SMT, Shanghai Maglev Transportation), the first choice for the SwissRapide Express Centre line route is the version "A1" which largely follows the A1 motorway from Berne to Zurich. The total length of the line is 114 km. The planning of this route has been completed and is presently being developed further by experts and engineering companies in Switzerland and Germany.
The route includes two separate Maglev guideways (one for each direction) between the two cities with loops in the Zurich and Berne main train stations. This "closed circle" concept enables Maglev vehicles to continue their journey in the same direction after the disembarking and boarding of passengers in the stations, optimising travel and stopping times to the minimum possible. To this end, it is also planned that disembarking will take place on one side of the Maglev vehicles while boarding takes place simultaneously on the opposite side, thus optimised stopping times.
With departures every 5 minutes during peak hours, SwissRapide offers at least 6-fold capacity compared to today's railway services.
According to the detailed project financial plan, the planning and building costs for the line Berne - Zurich are estimated at CHF 12 billion, with the start of commercial operation possible as early as 2022.
