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For one weekend, Swiss Federal Railways opens Lausanne’s “project of the century” to visitors
🇨🇭 Switzerland /Energy & Infrastructure

For one weekend, Swiss Federal Railways opens Lausanne’s “project of the century” to visitors

From Le Temps · () French

Translated from French and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

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  • Swiss Federal Railways will open the Lausanne station construction site to the public on Sept. 5 and 6, 2026.
  • The 1.7 billion-franc project aims to modernize infrastructure, extend platforms and create a large underground intermodal area.
  • About 110 workers operate daily across the site, and the project has already spent 619 million francs after years of delays and political disputes.

The construction noise outside Lausanne station barely conceals the scale of the transformation underway beneath it. This weekend, Swiss Federal Railways will open the “project of the century” to visitors, offering a look at the work reshaping the Vaud railway hub.

The public event will take place on Sept. 5 and 6, 2026, after a long series of delays, political blockages and tensions between the Federal Office of Transport and Swiss Federal Railways slowed the project. Thousands of visitors are expected.

Patrick Carruzzo, director of projects for the Lausanne station sector, led a preview tour of the site. The project uses “mole” drilling techniques, allowing trains to continue operating while workers excavate beneath the city.

About 110 people work each day across the construction zones. The project is jointly financed by the Swiss Confederation, the canton of Vaud, the city of Lausanne and Swiss Federal Railways. It carries a total estimated cost of 1.7 billion francs and has already used 619 million francs.

The plans include modernized infrastructure, longer platforms and a vast underground intermodal zone, designed somewhat like the one at Bern station.

About this summary

Originally published by Le Temps in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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