The Eurocity train EC 311 left Zurich main station at 6:33am and reached Chiasso at 8.55 am passing through the tunnel. Passengers were greeted by pre-recorded announcements by Swiss President Simonetta Sommaruga. The tunnel, which officially opened on September 4, marks the completion of the gargantuan Alpine rail link project after 28 years of construction. It was the last piece of the puzzle, preceded by the Lötschberg (34.6km) and Gotthard (56km) tunnels.
With the Ceneri Base Tunnel, journey times between French-speaking Switzerland and Ticino will be significantly reduced, the Swiss Federal Railways said this week. The Lausanne-Lugano journey will take 4 hours 14 minutes (18 minutes less than before), while the Neuchâtel-Lugano journey will be reduced from 4 hours to 3 hours 32 minutes in 2021. Zurich to Milan is now a journey of 3 hours 17 minutes, compared to 3 hours 40 minutes previously.
European rail freight will also benefit from the new tunnel. For example, it is possible to save up to two hours in freight transport between Rotterdam, the Dutch port city, and Milan.
Resumption of cross-border trains
On Wednesday, Switzerland and Europe were able to reach a compromise that allowed limited passenger services between the two countries. Rail services were temporarily halted when the Swiss rail operator said that its train personnel do not have the capacity to carry out specific onboard Covid-19 safety checks ordered by the Italian government.
The compromise agreement involves giving the Italian police the right to carry out sporadic checks on trains, including on the Swiss side. To cross the border, it will also be necessary to accept a temperature test, to have a certificate that authorises travel and to present a negative Covid-19 test result. However, proof of a negative Covid-19 test will not be required for cross-border workers.
Switzerland commits CHF50 million to combat rural poverty worldwide
This content was published on
The Federal Council approved a contribution of CHF49.5 million ($54.1 million) for the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
Arrests made in raid against Turkish criminal organisation
This content was published on
A cross-border raid against a Turkish criminal organisation was conducted, including property searches in cantons Aargau and Zurich.
Up to 4,000 Swiss army soldiers to protect Ukraine peace conference
This content was published on
The Federal Council has authorised deployment of army personnel for the Ukraine peace conference on the Bürgenstock in June.
This content was published on
The business association, Swissmem, reports that there are increasing signs that the bottom of the downturn will be reached this year.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Ceneri Base Tunnel is officially open
This content was published on
The Ceneri Base Tunnel has been officially opened, with the first freight train passing through the tunnel in the southern Swiss canton of Ticino.
This content was published on
The inauguration of the Ceneri base tunnel in southern Switzerland marks the symbolic completion of the Alptransit project.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.