Rerouting of the Wynental and Suhrental Railway Line

Prior to the completion of the project, WSB trains ran the nearly 2.5-mile stretch between Aarau and Suhr directly on or next to Buchserstrasse and Tramstrasse. In the interest of greater traffic safety, the WSB line was rerouted onto the former Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) rail line between Aarau and Suhr. In addition to enhanced safety, the relocation introduced other advantages such as a lower risk of traffic congestion, shorter WSB travel times and more convenient changing of trains between WSB and SBB at the new Suhr Railway Station.

The construction work begun in May 2008, with an estimated time to completion of two years. The track bed, the conductor lines and the signal systems needed to be revised to meet the new meter-gauge specifications. Moreover, various other structural measures along the stretch were needed, including the new construction of a train stop in Buchs and the construction of a new bridge across the Suhre River.

Once the new rail line was completed, the existing WSB track along Buchserstrasse and Tramstrasse was removed. The new WSB line and the new Suhr Railway Station were then scheduled to commence operation according to a new service schedule in December 2010.

Before work was started on the rail line, EBP carried out an environmental impact assessment and drafted the corresponding environmental impact report. The measures outlined in the report included the installation and operation of extensive water control structures and equipment, the circumvention of a groundwater protection zone and the proper removal of a large volume of excavated material. EBP also oversaw the proper implementation of these measures in the context of its environmental monitoring assignment.