Renovation of Lucerne freight station: Dual tracks for Zentralbahn.
Sersa Schweiz was contracted by Swiss Federal Railways and Zentralbahn in Lucerne to completely renew its freight station.
This project came about due to the Zentralbahn expanding its services by introducing a second track to the station and repairing non-conforming railway systems. The contract with a value of around CHF 22 million was awarded to the “BAHNINFRA” consortium, headed by Sersa Switzerland which has a 50% stake in the consortium. The work will continue until April 2022.
A total of 21 metre-gauge and 14 standard-gauge points will be installed and 4,200 metres of new track will be laid. Cable ducts and walkways are also included in the contract. The project conditions are complex, as the work has to be carried out during continuous operation of the sidetracks or during short track closures. Cooperation and coordination with specialists from Swiss Federal Railways and security services as well as consortium partners are additional challenges.
The track bed is another special feature of this project, as the groundwater table is only a few centimetres below the permanent way. Therefore, the water level has to be lowered temporarily and filled with light and large-pored material, the so-called Lucerne profile. The aim is to achieve a dimensionally stable structure while reducing the dead weight as much as possible.
The project works were carried out in seven phases. Phase 6 in November 2021 is particularly demanding. In this phase, Sersa has to get a considerable amount of work done during a three-day track closure, as eight different types of points have to be dismantled and rebuilt within this time window.
Double track extension Lucerne - turnout unloading, Part 1
Double track extension phase 2, part 2: deconstruction of the tracks
