The Ceneri Base Tunnel is the third largest construction project of the NRLA (New Rail Link through the Alps) and, at 15.4 km. the fifth longest railway tunnel in Switzerland. It’s a milestone of huge importance for international freight traffic and, for passenger traffic, an immense improvement in terms of north-south connectivity in Switzerland and between the Sopraceneri and Sottoceneri (upper and lower Ticino).
After twelve years of construction, the new Ceneri Base Tunnel was inaugurated in December 2020. The Gotthard Base Tunnel, which opened in 2016, vastly improved connections between the north and south of Switzerland; travel times were cut once again. Trains now take less than two hours between Zurich and Lugano, while 30 minutes can be shaved off journey times between Locarno and Lugano.
An enormous step forward for public transport in Ticino, promising faster and more convenient travel. Indeed, the 15.4 km railway tunnel between Camorino and Vezia is an important milestone in terms of regional public transport in the canton. The inauguration of the Ceneri Base Tunnel marks the completion of the NRLA, which has been almost sixty years in the planning and implementation.