From January 10th until mid-2024, SBB will be expanding the southern train depots in Basel. This expansion aims to create the necessary storage capacity for additional regional and longer long-distance trains. The project is one of the prerequisites for the introduction of the Basel–Liestal regional 15-minute service starting at the end of 2025.

As part of the 45-million-franc project, SBB (Swiss Federal Railways) is renewing and extending 13 existing sidings. In addition, further tracks are being electrified or equipped with overhead contact lines. This will increase the flexibility of the facility. Currently, the existing sidings near Basel South station lack the capacity for additional trains. Furthermore, there are too few long tracks to accommodate longer long-distance trains. This project will address both of these issues.

Fig.: SBB

The area required for extending the sidings northeast of the Wolfgottesacker cemetery lies on the grounds of the existing storage facilities. The access road to signal box 4, which currently runs south of the SBB (Swiss Federal Railways) halls, will be relocated and will run north of the halls in the future. Disused SBB warehouses in this area will be demolished.

At the same time, as part of the project, SBB (Swiss Federal Railways) is decommissioning the so-called "siding track." This track runs in a curve east of the Wolfgottesacker cemetery and is located on land owned by the city of Basel. The city of Basel and SBB Real Estate plan to build up to 500 affordable apartments and a primary school on this site. Valuable ecological habitats have already developed in the area of ​​the siding track over time, and these are intended to serve as an ecological compensation area for the common land.

The siding now serves as a shunting and turning track for trains that have passed through the bicycle competence center or the continuous cleaning facility west of the Wolfgottesacker cemetery.

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