The Léman 2030 project has been made possible thanks to unprecedented support and collaboration.
The Federal Office of Transport, the cantons of Vaud and Geneva and SBB decided to undertake the joint project to meet the needs of rail users in the Lake Geneva region. This partnership is governed by the Léman 2030 framework agreement dated 21 December 2009. (PDF)
United under the auspices of the Lake Geneva metropolitan area, Vaud and Geneva together form a community of interests that results in close economic interaction and a heavy influx of commuters. The region, which is the country's second most important economic hub, has, over the last ten years, seen a growth in jobs (+15.2%), exports (+88%) and population (+14%) significantly above the national average. Forecasts for 2040 show that the region's population is likely to increase by nearly 30%; in other words, it will have 344,000 extra inhabitants! The Lake Geneva metropolitan area is a centre of technological and scientific excellence positioned at the leading edge of research and innovation, thanks notably to CERN, the Universities of Geneva and Lausanne, EPFL, and the region's vast network of universities of applied sciences covering all types of education and training. The international city of Geneva and the world's sporting capital Lausanne are also the two mainstays of the Lake Geneva metropolitan area that is home to 31 international organisations, 250 NGOs, 168 permanent diplomatic representations at the United Nations and 51 international sporting federations and organisations.
As well as its objectives of improving the frequency of rail services and the number of seats, Léman 2030 represents a unique opportunity for architectural and urban development. Long-term cooperation between the federal, cantonal and communal authorities and SBB is therefore essential for the smooth management of interrelated urban projects.
Léman 2030 partners’ visions of the project.
Director of the Federal Office of Transport.
In your view, what makes Léman 2030 different to other projects carried out by SBB?
Léman 2030 isn’t a one-off railway project. Instead, it’s an entire programme made up of various elements which come together to form a coherent whole and achieve a clear, cross-cantonal objective: ensuring the coordinated development of the railway on a regional scale, namely the Lake Geneva region. The cantons of Vaud and Geneva both play leading and dynamic roles. In pooling their strengths to improve and relieve pressure on the line between Geneva and Lausanne, the cantons have, in a way, anticipated the collaborative approach that the Federal Office of Transport (FOT) expects of the cantons.
What message would you like to convey to public transport customers about Léman 2030?
While work is ongoing, it is inevitable that the projects to remodel the Lausanne-Renens railway hub or expand Geneva station will cause inconvenience to passengers given the sheer scale of the work involved. But it will be worth it in the long run: these major construction projects will enable Western Switzerland to benefit from a modern railway network which is tailored to the needs of its users. The projects will lead to improvements for passengers – more frequent services, longer trains, greater timetable stability – and customers well beyond the Lake Geneva region will benefit from these improvements too.
How do you see the future of this major project?
At the moment, our key priority is to ensure that the work involved in the 2025 stage is carried out on time, on budget and with guaranteed safety. The timescale set for the work is an ambitious one. As the authority responsible for commissioning, funding and overseeing the project, the FOT will do everything in its power to ensure that SBB respects both the set timescales and the agreements which have been reached between partners. These projects are vital for the future of rail travel in Switzerland.
Cantonal Councillor for Vaud, Head of the Department of Infrastructure and Human Resources.
The origins of Léman 2030 are…
A long battle to secure the implementation of one of the main promises of Rail 2000 made to the people of Western Switzerland. The project will mean that the number of trains and the number of seats for journeys between Lausanne and Geneva can be doubled. The project will prevent the complete saturation of the only railway line between these two cantonal capitals of the Lake Geneva metropolitan area, which is one of the most dynamic regions in Switzerland, both in terms of its population growth and its economy. Léman 2030 is therefore addressing the main objective of the defunct third track. It is a more intelligent solution which will also allow the capacity of the Lausanne-Renens railway hub to be substantially increased. The Pied du Jura and Simplon lines will see their capacity increase. The same is true of the Bern line, but it’s not all good news there: the Rail 2000 promise to reduce the journey time between the two cantonal capitals to less than an hour still won’t become a reality.
For the canton of Vaud, Léman 2030 marks…
The entry of the Pays de Vaud into the railway confederation of the 21st century. It was on 14 April that the process of seeking public opinion on the plans to extend Lausanne station started. This neat coincidence is a symbolic reminder that the railway junction in Western Switzerland is the only major railway hub in Switzerland which has not undergone major renovation work for more than a century. Both the Swiss Confederation and SBB have perfectly understood the importance of rectifying this delay and have made the increase to the railway capacity between Lausanne and Renens a national priority. Léman 2030 is essential in order to guarantee that the whole of the Swiss railway network can function properly. At a cantonal level, it is also a vital element for bringing about the substantial development of RER Vaud. The project is the centrepiece of our ambitious cantonal policy to develop public transport. I am also counting on SBB to roll out bold solutions to increase the frequency of services as well as pursuing the construction work involved in Léman 2030.
Cantonal Councillor for Geneva, Head of the Department of the Environment, Transport and Agriculture.
For the canton of Geneva, Léman 2030 is…
More than anything, Léman 2030 is an unprecedented alliance of the Confederation, the cantons of Vaud and Geneva, and the SBB to work on a project which is vital to the region with the most dynamic economy in Switzerland. It is the development of a logical partnership in the interests of strengthening performance for the direct benefit of passengers. In concrete terms, it means providing more connections between Geneva and the rest of Switzerland and developing regular services on the future RER network, which will enable the CEVA rail link between the Swiss and French networks to be put into operation. It also represents the fantastic enthusiasm for the railway shown by the residents of Geneva in February 2014 when they led the way nationally in terms of the number of votes cast in favour of the rail funding plan (FABI). Although our canton is currently amongst those with the smallest proportion of railway tracks on its land, the people of Geneva clearly signalled their eagerness for the development of this new mode of transport in the years to come.
CEVA, Léman 2030: two projects which will revolutionise transport for the people of Geneva?
These are two complementary projects which will bring about a new railway agglomeration: in 2019, when the CEVA rail link opens, we will be putting an express network into operation, involving 230 kilometres of lines and serving no fewer than 45 stations in France and the cantons of Vaud and Geneva. This will be a fantastic network for the entire region, from Coppet towards Evian, Bellegarde, Annecy or St-Gervais. It will not only reduce the number of cross-border journeys by car, but will also offer the people of Geneva the equivalent of an underground train service, with its route, right of way and more frequent services allowing people to travel to the centre as never before. This will also provide an opportunity to develop new zones close to stations, offering thousands of new homes, offices and recreational areas.
