Lötschberg Base Tunnel gets CHF 1.7bn full upgrade

The Lötschberg Base Tunnel (35 km, opened in 2007) currently runs double-track on only about a third of its length; 14 km have been built as a raw shell without technical fit-out, and a further 7 km still need to be excavated. In 2024 the Swiss parliament approved a full expansion to continuous double track under the STEP rail infrastructure programme, which is expected to more than double the tunnel's capacity and enable a 30-minute passenger service between Bern and Brig. Construction is set to start in 2026 and take about eight years (planned completion around 2033/2034), with projected costs of CHF 1.7 billion. Update (19 Aug 2026): BLS has put the plans for the adapted full expansion on public display from 17 August to 15 September 2026; the partial expansion already has legally binding approval, and only the additional changes needed (including excavating the second tube over 7 kilometres from the Frutigen portal and an extra emergency stop near Mitholz) are being displayed again. Costs are estimated at about CHF 1.7 billion; main works are due to start in 2028 according to current planning and the total construction period is around ten years, which moves completion to roughly 2038 by calculation (the new date is a placeholder). (LOK Report, 19 Aug 2026)