In Rothenburg Station, no stone will be left unturned soon. Both the station itself and the surrounding area are to be massively redesigned and upgraded. The station is to be expanded into nothing less than a real mobility hub.
Two completely new bus hubs will be added to a newly designed train station in the future – including a new underpass. Of course, this is not available for free, but for around 36 million francs. The SBB, the community of Rothenburg, the federal government and the canton of Lucerne are all involved. The Lucerne government is now applying for a special loan of around CHF 24 million for this purpose.
Rothenburgers have already said yes
The Lucerne government’s application comes just under a week after the people of Rothenburg have clearly spoken out in favor of the project at the ballot box. Specifically, with 79 percent yes-votes, she approved a loan of 16.35 million francs for the renovation of the station – with the municipality only being burdened with around 4.2 million net.
The remaining costs will be borne by the canton of Lucerne, the federal government (via the agglomeration program) and the bus companies that will use the station in the future. The canton of Lucerne wants to participate in the major project with a net amount of 17 million francs. The government council therefore requests the cantonal council to approve a special loan. At around CHF 24 million, this also includes federal contributions from the agglomeration programs, as the government writes in a press release.
New train station and two bus hubs
The project essentially consists of three parts:
- New train station with underpass
The Rothenburg Station is being rebuilt by the SBB. With the project, all infrastructure systems are being rebuilt in order to comply with the Disability Equality Act. A new central platform will be created. This is accessed both by a staircase and a new ramp. The east-side track, which is now used as a siding, will be extended and used as a third track for passenger traffic.
The new pedestrian underpass is intended to shorten the routes and ensure unobstructed access to buses and trains. A bicycle shed with around 40 places is also being built near the main platform.
At the so-called Bushub West, four bus stop edges will be implemented. Two retaining edges are connected to the main platform and two retaining edges are operated via a separate central platform. Two roofs will be built on the main platform to protect the passengers from the weather.
The existing SBB park-and-ride car parks will be removed or relocated to the east. Kiss-and-ride parking spaces as well as parking spaces for the disabled and taxis will be created on the west side.
The expansion of the bus hub will shift Hasenmoosstrasse by around three meters in the station area. In addition, the width of the carriageway will be expanded from today’s 5.8 to 10.4 meters, according to the government. Two separate cycle lanes will be marked and a central area with protective islands for pedestrians will be created. The separate sidewalk on the western side of the street will be retained. The top speed on Hasenmoosstrasse will be reduced from the current 60 to 50 kilometers per hour.
Two bus stop edges will be implemented at the East Bus Station. A retaining edge is operated via the bus platform on the railway side, where a roof is also being built to protect the passengers from the weather. The second edge of the bus stop connects directly to the eastern development plan area.
A new shelter with 44 places is being built in a central location for the bicycles. Optionally, a second bicycle shed can be created at a later date and the capacity doubled, writes the government. For motorized private transport, an existing parking lot will be expanded as a park-and-ride facility and supplemented with a parking space for disabled people and taxis as well as a parking space for eight motorcycles.
Project will be completed in 2023
The redesign schedule is quite athletic. SBB is planning to start the preparatory work this autumn. The main work at the train station will therefore start in early 2022. The realization of the bus hubs will begin in early 2023 and the entire project will be completed by the end of 2023.
This schedule assumes that no legal remedies will be taken against the project and that the financial means are available. The canton council decides on the conversion loan in the September session.
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