The expansion of Basel SBB station is in full swing
The extension of Basel SBB station has got off to a good start. After three months, the first bay of the temporary passerelle is in place. 119 of the total of 308 bored piles for the expansion of the track and platform facilities have been constructed. From the end of 2025, the extensions will create the necessary capacity for more rail services.
The construction work for the extension of Basel SBB station is on track. On 14 December 2022, the federal government granted SBB the construction permit for the two projects. Construction work started on 2 January 2023. The CHF 210 million project package includes, on the one hand, the Basel SBB performance enhancement project with the additional 460-metre-long platform track 19/20 and capacity-increasing measures on the approach tracks towards Basel St. Johann and Münchenstein. On the other hand, the package includes a provisional 147-metre-long and approximately 10-metre-wide passerelle in the area between the existing passerelle and the Margarethen Bridge.
One of the prerequisites for future service extensions
At a media conference in Basel, Wolfgang Stolle, SBB overall project manager, and Thomas Staffelbach, SBB overall coordinator Basel, provided information on the status of the work and the other extension projects in the region. Marco Galli, coordinator of the Basel rail hub at the canton of Basel Stadt, emphasised the importance of the project package for the canton. Because from the end of 2025, northwestern Switzerland is to receive significantly more trains. This was decided by the federal government, parliament and cantons. From then on, the S-Bahn trains between Basel and Liestal are to run every quarter of an hour and the long-distance trains on the Basel-Delémont-Biel/Bienne line every half an hour. Increased performance and a temporary passerelle will create the necessary capacity at Basel SBB station for more train stops and more passengers, especially during rush hour.
Drilling machine creates piles for 570-metre-long retaining wall
The construction team is currently working on the future retaining wall along Meret Oppenheim-Strasse. The approximately 570-metre-long, four to seven-metre-high structure will close off the track field from the Gundeldinger district. The track field must be widened towards the south in order to create enough space for the extended platform and track system. Since the end of January, a drilling machine has been drilling the piles for the retaining wall. The machine will be in use between the Margarethen Bridge and the Peter Merian Bridge until probably June 2023. 119 of the total of 308 bored piles had been constructed by the end of March. The bored piles go to different depths in the ground; the longest are up to 14 metres long.
Demolition of the houses near the tracks between Passerelle and Hochstrasse
In order to be able to build the retaining wall, the construction crews have been demolishing the nearby houses between Postpasserelle and Hauptpasserelle since January 2023. From April, the buildings on the track side of the upper Hochstrasse will follow. SBB had to close the southern access to the Postpasserelle for the same reason on 13 February 2023. The construction team will demolish the relevant section of the Postpasserelle from mid-May 2023. After that, the access will be rebuilt about 4.3 metres further south. In this way, it will extend over the wider track field in the future. The new access will go back into operation at the end of 2023.
The first yoke for the new passerelle is in place
The first work for the temporary passerelle is also underway. From mid-January to the beginning of April 2023, the construction team built the foundations and supports for the new passerelle at the western end of the platform 11/12. In the meantime, the yoke and the stairway to the passerelle have been built. At the beginning of April, the builders will then move to the western end of the platform 9/10 and do the same there. At the end of June, they will move to platform 7/8. During the work, the length of the platform in question will be restricted.
Extensive night work in the track area
Since January, the construction teams have been working at night on the catenary, the tracks and the cable systems. These adjustments are necessary for the foundations of the passerelle and the new platforms. The construction teams are also erecting protective scaffolding. These are to ensure that no construction debris gets onto the operational track systems during the demolition work. For safety reasons, the construction teams can only carry out all this work with the track closed and the overhead line switched off. They must therefore be carried out at night, when there is less traffic. SBB is constantly examining how night-time noise can be reduced depending on the construction phase. However, it is aware that the work will still require a great deal of patience and understanding from residents.
Restrictions for bicycles and motorised traffic
There have been and will be restrictions for bicycles and motorised traffic. For example, the number of bicycle parking spaces on the Gundeldinger side has been reduced from 700 to 530. SBB is therefore currently reviewing again with the canton how and where additional parking spaces are possible. The aim is to be able to put these additional spaces into operation in the spring. In the meantime, SBB is asking cyclists to use all the temporary parking spaces, including those at the Meret Oppenheim high-rise. In many cases, there are still spaces available there, especially on the upper floor of the double-storey parking facilities. in 2025, SBB will dismantle the temporary bicycle stands and re-install them on the redesigned south side of the station, along the tracks. The total number of bicycle stands will be increased to around 1100. For safety reasons, road traffic restrictions have been necessary on Meret-Oppenheim-Strasse since the beginning of January and on the upper Hochstrasse from 3 April to 30 June. SBB submits the restrictions to the cantonal police in advance in accordance with the applicable cantonal processes and guidelines and coordinates them with them.