The new Löwenstrasse subterranean station in Zurich
The number of passengers using the Swiss rail system is growing steadily. A new cross-city railway link directly through the heart of Zurich, has created new capacity. The centrepiece of the line, opened in 2014, is the new Löwenstrasse subterranean transit station which is situated below the existing main railway station.
Client
SBB
Some 16 metres below the hall of Zurich’s main station and just a few metres beneath the river Sihl, which crosses the existing station, the new Löwenstrasse station glistens with its golden ceiling following six years of construction. The station was opened in June 2014. As part of the construction project, 350,000 m3 of earth had to be excavated from below the main station without adversely affecting normal service schedules. Steel supports weighing 1,750 tonnes were installed to ensure that the ceiling of the new station could carry the heavy load. This massive engineering project was undertaken with the vital need to meet the demands of a modern city's transport requirements. As a consequence, the capacity of the main station has been increased by 30% and train journey times have been cut on average by six minutes.
Our services
Basler & Hofmann was the lead partner and project manager in the engineering consortium IG Zalo (Basler & Hofmann, Pöyry and SNZ). IG Zalo was responsible for the engineering design and construction management for Löwenstrasse station and the Weinberg tunnel.
