Electrification and improvement of services on the High Rhine route. Part project: -Design and approval planning

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The train route between Basel-Erzingen-Schaffhausen is a rail route owned by the DB network, which crosses the D-CH border several times. This route is not yet electrified between Basel Badischer station and Erzingen on the final stretch of around 74 km. The object is to electrify the High Rhine route between Basel-Erzingen to close up the existing gap, so that consistent electric traffic is possible between Basel and Singen and for further through trains across the D-CH border. Planning phase 3 and 4 should be implemented in the context of this Interreg project. The electrification is a precondition for being able to deploy modern rolling stock suitable for those with disabilities, and also for the “fast” Interregio expresses, which are current diesel-powered; no alternative range is available on the market. The results of the pre-planning with cost estimates are available and the next stages (planning phase 3 and 4: design and approval planning) represent the content of this project. The route has a high level of cross-border significance, particularly as part of the Basel S-Bahn, as an access route to the Schaffhausen S-Bahn and as an alternative and fast connection between NW-CH and Eastern Switzerland, as a fast connection to routes within Switzerland. A modern efficient High Rhine route will be integrated uniformly into the cross-border rail service and the network structures in the region and beyond. It will make a contribution to a better and more even utilisation of the entire railway infrastructure in the border area. It is an important regional route in South Baden and it ensures the connection to long-distance traffic in Basel and Singen. With the electrification, this former “diesel island” can be integrated into the surrounding transport networks, and due to the road infrastructure on the German side, which requires improvement, the High Rhine route is the backbone of regional passenger rail transport and is crucial for the further sustainable development of the region. The project partners agree that the electrification of this rail route will mean a “quantum leap” in the services and quality that can be achieved. Cross-border cooperation is required at the various (administrative) levels, which is why the “strategic High Rhine electrification body” was founded to carry forward its execution, consisting of the regional partners on both sides of the border (districts and cantons, the High Rhine-Lake Constance regional association and the AggloBasel association), as well as the crucial higher-level institutions of the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg and the Swiss confederation.

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