Lausanne train station: another set of tracks heading towards Geneva is on the books for 2018
Lausanne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Canton Vaud Tuesday 1 February approved the funds that will allow a third rail line for the congested Geneva-Lausanne tracks to be built in 2018 instead of four years later, as the federal government had planned.
The area’s population has been growing rapidly for the past 20 years and projections are that the rate of increase will remain strong: the area west of Lausanne is expected to grow by 20,000-30,000 people by 2020.
Cantons Vaud and Geneva in December 2009 signed an agreement with the Federal Transport Office to find the funds for loans to the CFF rail company to advance several critical projects.
Yesterday the canton approved nearly CHF200 million for four projects: additional crossings in Mies and Chambesy, pre-financing for the Lausanne-Renens third rail line, modernization of the Renens train station and feasibility studies for the Geneva-Lausanne additional rail line.
Geneva financing approval en route
Geneva has not yet completed its funding process, but the Tribune de Geneve notes that it is en route, with a request files with the Grand Conseil in October 2010 to finance some CHF169 million for the rail line, as part of a financing request for the new, larger regional rail programme.
