An alliance between the Lombardy Region and the Canton of Ticino has been formed to prompt the respective Italian and Swiss governments into action to complete the major alpine railway corridors. This convergence of interests, which has matured in recent times, found confirmation and an occasion for public presentation during the seventh edition of the conference "A Sea of Switzerland," held in Lugano on October 11, 2024. The event was promoted by the Swiss Road Transport Association (Astag) and the Lugano International Logistics Forum.
This commitment was highlighted by the presence of the Lombardy Region at the Lugano meeting through its Directorate General for Infrastructure and Public Works. Until now, only the historical institutional participation of the Liguria and Piedmont Regions at various levels had been recorded in the three previous editions of the event following the pandemic. The need for close cooperation with Italy was confirmed by Fabio Regazzi, a Member of the Council of States (the Swiss parliament's upper house, along with the National Council).
Behind the scenes, and not only there, the association Pro Gottardo-Ferrovia d’Europa, established in 2016 to promote the completion of the Gotthard railway corridor, has once again played a role in fostering the convergence of interests. The message is primarily directed internally, to the Swiss authorities, as it is no secret that both the federal government and several cantonal administrations consider the AlpTransit project complete after the construction of the Gotthard, Ceneri, and Lötschberg base tunnels. However, to fully optimize the capacity of the alpine rail routes, all connecting links must also be completed.
The stakes are high because Switzerland, in planning future infrastructure projects, does not foresee any further interventions in this direction until after 2040, except for the completion of the Lötschberg tunnel with the construction of the second tube and, in the background, the second section of the Zimmerberg tunnel, south of Zurich. To avoid wasting development prospects, Pro Gottardo's objective is to include the preliminary planning for the completion of AlpTransit as part of an important event in this regard: the Federal Council's 2026 message, and to allow phased construction to begin starting from 2040, in continuity with major ongoing infrastructure projects.
This request, which has received numerous endorsements, is encapsulated in the 2024 Memorandum, adopted at the assembly held on May 4, 2024. During the subsequent general meeting of the Gotthard Committee, the need to intensify contacts with Italy for a joint action was also highlighted. This message, as has been shown, has been embraced by the Lombardy Region, and an appeal in this regard is expected to be launched soon. The 2024 Memorandum is addressed to the 13 Cantons of the Gotthard Committee, Swiss and Italian political authorities, and the economic community.
According to Pro Gotthard, the AlpTransit project, which cost over 20 billion euros, remains an incomplete work: "the heart is done, but the arteries are missing." These arteries consist of access routes to separate traffic flows and increase the overall capacity of the entire transalpine corridor. Specifically, south of the Alps, in the Canton of Ticino, the base variant is missing, with freight bypasses for Bellinzona and Lugano, and the route to Chiasso. The key challenge will be tackling an estimated cost exceeding eight billion euros.
Piermario Curti Sacchi
