Between July 7 and August 12, the Basel-Olten and Basel-Zurich railroad lines will be subject to train cancelations and timetable changes. The reason for this is a further stage in the renovation of the Hauenstein Base Tunnel.
As the SBB announced on Monday, one of the two tunnel tracks will be closed for five weeks from the evening of July 7 until the morning of August 12. This will restrict capacity on the rail network.
Among other things, the direct long-distance services from Basel SBB to Zurich will run every hour instead of every half hour during this period, except at peak times. Some trains between Basel and Olten SO will also be canceled. SBB recommends checking the online timetable before each journey.
The Hauenstein Base Tunnel is located between Tecknau BL and Trimbach SO. It is being completely renewed 40 years after the last renovation. Work began at the beginning of September last year and, according to SBB, will last from then until autumn 2026. Around 100 freight trains and 320 passenger trains normally travel through the 8.1-kilometre tunnel every day.