Officials in Geneva have announced plans for a new underground railway line, which would allow passengers to cross the canton in as little as 30 minutes. The new metro would connect many of the city’s major districts, and commuter towns in France.

New underground railway set to be built in Geneva

At a press conference, cantonal officials in Geneva confirmed that they are looking to build a new underground rail network in the city. Dubbed “Léman Express II” by State Councillor and Minister for Transport Pierre Maudet (LJS), the plan would see a 22-kilometre metro line built crossing Geneva from north to south.

Though the route is yet to be completely confirmed, the metro would start at the French town of Saint-Genis, passing through Meyrin, the airport and Geneva’s Sécheron district. It would go under the lake, continuing to Eaux-Vives, Plainpalais, Praille-Acacias-Vernets and Plan-les-Ouates before terminating in the French town of Saint-Julian.

Once the first line is complete, officials hope to extend existing services to Annecy and build a new route connecting French commuter towns and Nyon.

New metro to connect 50 percent of Geneva homes

The design of the line will be familiar to those who have ridden metros, undergrounds or U-Bahns in other major European cities. Stops will be placed at 800 to 1.200-metre intervals, with regular services allowing users to take public transport across the city in just 30 minutes. Its entire length will be underground.

According to official estimates, 50 percent of the city’s population and 70 percent of the region’s jobs will be less than 750 metres away from a metro station - it is hoped that 160.000 people will use the service every day. Once completed, Geneva will become just the second Swiss city to have its own metro network, the other being Lausanne.

Geneva must build its own network, Maudet argues

Speaking at a press conference, Maudet noted that beyond the upgrading of Geneva station, the region is not part of the massive expansion plans proposed by Swiss Federal Railways until at least 2050. "We must take our destiny into our own hands, with the ability to develop our own network," he explained, adding that it is unlikely that the current network will be enough to satiate growing demand.

The project is expected to cost 4 billion francs to build, of which half will come from the canton and the other from the government in Bern. If given the go-ahead, Maudet expects the northern section to be up and running by 2040, with the rest on the timeline for 2045.