Doubly committed: Two major projects at Bern railway station
Basler & Hofmann is involved in two major projects at Bern railway station: SBB is building a second pedestrian underpass: the "Unterführung Mitte" with two new entrances to the station. At the same time, Regionalverkehr Bern-Solothurn (RBS) is having a new underground station built. We are responsible for a large part of the project planning and site supervision in both projects as part of general planning teams.
"The excavation pit is located directly above the underground construction site for the new RBS underground station," explains Matthias Nafzger. Matthias is supervising the work for the pedestrian underpass on behalf of Basler & Hofmann as the local site supervisor. "And trains run on both sides of the excavations in all directions in Switzerland."
At the beginning of 2026, the excavations for the new pedestrian underpass were visible in their full size for the first time. It is around 6 meters deep, which corresponds roughly to the height of the station concourse.
The "Unterführung Mitte" is being built in six sections. Since fall 2025, construction work for the fifth and penultimate section of the underpass has been underway in the area of the SBB platform and tracks 3 and 4.
The first breakthrough from the new underpass to the new RBS underground station below took place in October: The two major construction sites were connected by a shaft. A passenger lift will later be installed in this shaft. Further connections for escalators and lifts will follow.
The opening of the expanded Bern railway station - with a new pedestrian underpass, two new entrances and a new RBS station - is planned for 2031. Passengers will then benefit from more space and shorter distances.
Find out more:
- Project website of the major construction site "Zukunft Bahnhof Bern"
- Reference projects "Mitte underpasses", public passageways and RBS underground station
