Zurich removes three railway stops from the regional plan
Höri, Regensdorf-Industrie and Zürich-Herdern are set to be removed from the cantonal structure plan. This move affects not only transport projects but also development areas, as the canton is now placing greater emphasis on benefits, capacity and costs.
The Canton of Zurich is revising its rail planning. As part of the 2026 partial revision of the cantonal structure plan, three planned stations are to be scrapped. The stations affected are Höri, Regensdorf-Industrie and Zürich-Herdern. The public consultation period runs from 14 September to 14 December 2026.
The three deletions are set out in the ‘Mobility’ chapter of the revised structural plan. According to the explanatory report, Höri is being dropped because the station could only be realised with very high investment and would also result in a loss of connections. As for Regensdorf-Industrie, the canton considers the added benefit to be minimal and points to disadvantages for freight transport capacity. Zürich-Herdern is being removed from the plan because the once-envisaged event station was never explored in depth and Zürich-Altstetten already fulfils this function.
High hurdle for new stops
The case of Höri in particular illustrates just how much the assessment has shifted. There, a stop had enjoyed political backing for years. Now, from the canton’s perspective, the resulting infrastructure costs and operational drawbacks outweigh the benefits. This sends a clear signal to locations along existing lines. From a planning perspective, an additional stop is no longer sufficient if it undermines timetable stability, connections or the network’s overall effectiveness.
The decision is also controversial for Regensdorf. Around Regensdorf-Watt station, the canton, the local council and SBB are pushing ahead with several development projects. The existing station is to be expanded on the north side to become a major interchange, featuring a new coach station, improved pedestrian and cycle links, and additional public facilities. The fact that, at the same time, the separate Regensdorf-Industrie station is to be removed from the structural plan highlights the priority given to consolidated hubs rather than additional stops.
Four projects remain under pressure
This leaves four projects for new stations still in the Regional Plan. This is particularly politically sensitive in the case of Grüze-Nord in Winterthur. The city describes the station as a key element for the development of the Grüze area and points to a potential daily passenger volume of over 12,000. At the same time, Grüze-Nord and other Zurich rail projects are missing from the Federal Council’s ‘Transport 45’ package, which is due to enter the consultation phase in 2026.
For property and location development, the revision of the structural plan is more than just a technical adjustment. It plays a key role in determining which development areas will receive additional public transport support in future and which will remain reliant on existing transport hubs. Following the public consultation period, the canton will draw up the final draft. This will be followed by decisions by the cantonal government and the cantonal parliament.