Stadelhofen station and the square in front of the Kunsthaus in Zurich could soon be linked by a new pedestrian tunnel, under plans which were recently given the green light by the local council. The 400-metre-long passage is designed to help cater to rising footfall around the station.

400-metre travelator tunnel set to be built in Zurich

The 400-metre tunnel connecting Zurich Stadelhofen with Heimplatz - the square in front of the Kunsthaus - will resemble those seen in the London Underground and Paris Metro. It will feature sloping travelators to make it easier for commuters to climb the hill.

The tunnel is expected to be built at the northern end of what is now Platform Three, either on the platform itself or in the underground concourse below. It will then pivot to the right, travelling upwards underneath Stadelhofen Kantonschule and St. Andrews Anglican church, before likely emerging where Zeltweg intersects Rämistrasse.

What's behind plans for a Stadelhofen-Kunsthaus tunnel?

The origins of the project can be traced to Swiss Federal Railways (SBB). Under currently approved plans, the whole of Stadelhofen station on the east bank of Lake Zurich will be renovated and expanded by one track by 2037. The public transport provider predicts that around 120.000 people will use the station once the new platform is complete, a 50 percent increase on today’s numbers. If a Stadelhofen of this size existed today, it would be the third busiest station in Switzerland.

This presents a problem for the local area, which will soon have to cater to more commuters seeking to leave the station and head to the city’s Kreis 7, the universities and other areas around the Kunsthaus. With the area already saturated with trams and buses, and the existing foot route via Olgastrasse being equal parts narrow and steep, civil engineering department head Simone Brander (SP) proposed that an underground tunnel be built instead.

Tunnel given first green light by Zurich authorities

At a meeting on October 24, the municipal council of Zurich voted in favour of the underground tunnel. 11,6 million francs will be provided to help plan the pedestrian passage further, with the plans finding a majority after lawmakers added a 300.000 franc fund, designed to see whether an overground route was also possible. In total, the tunnel is predicted to cost 100 million francs.

Speaking to the Tages-Anzeiger, Brander said that the vote was a “yes to moving forward” and would allow the city to keep pace with the expansion plans of SBB. The Green Liberal Party added in a statement that it was a “courageous infrastructure investment”, while FDP. The Liberals compared the plans to a visit to the dentist: “costs a lot but is necessary.”

Opponents raise safety and environmental concerns

The plans are not without critics, with the Swiss People’s Party calling it a “manifesto of mass immigration” that assumes that demand on Stadelhofen will continue to increase at a rapid rate. They also argued that if the tunnel is necessary for the station to expand, SBB should pay for it instead.

Sections of the Green Party, who gave their members a free vote on the plan, argued that a long underground tunnel raises police and security concerns, and its construction would generate large amounts of CO2. The Alternative Left also demanded that the plans be subject to more scrutiny.

With the vote passing, engineers will continue to plan how the tunnel will be built and when construction would start. Lawmakers will have their next chance to vote on the scheme next year.

Thumb image credit: Michael Derrer Fuchs / Shutterstock.com