Train journeys to the south will take longer from mid-January

The Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) are carrying out maintenance work on the Gotthard axis. Most trains will therefore travel via the Gotthard mountain route between the 12th and 23rd January, 2026.
 

The train journey from Lucerne to Lugano takes only one hour and 40 minutes by Intercity or Eurocity train at the moment. And 1 hour 28 minutes by the IC from Zug to Lugano via Altdorf. This is made possible by the 57-kilometre-long Gotthard Base Tunnel between Erstfeld and Bodio, which opened in 2016.

But passengers will now have to temporarily make do with the old route, when trains travelled via the mountain route through the old Gotthard Tunnel between Göschenen and Airolo.

From the 12th to the 23rd January 2026, Intercity and Eurocity trains will not travel through the Basel Base Tunnel as usual, but via the mountain route instead. This will add approximately one hour to the journey time. Intercity travel times from Zug to Lugano, for example, will extend to between 2 hours 18 minutes and 2 hours 58 minutes. The exceptions are the so-called trinational Milan-Zurich-Frankfurt connections in both directions, as well as the first IC service at 5:04 am from Basel southbound, the first IC service at 5:30 am from Chiasso northbound, and the last IC service at 11:05 pm from Zurich southbound. These trains will continue to travel through the Base Tunnel.

The reason for the diversions of most of the trains is construction work in the Base Tunnel. While one tunnel will be closed for eight hours each night for two nights every weekend, these eight-hour intervals are insufficient for certain tasks, as the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) stated in its press release. This is particularly true when equipment has reached the end of its service life, which is now the case. The tunnel radio system, for example, which was put into operation before the tunnel's opening in December 2016 and has now reached the end of its service life between 2024 and 2027, will be replaced during so-called ‘long-term maintenance periods’, according to Swiss Federal Railways (SBB).

The SBB describes the timing of this work as ideal, as passenger numbers are relatively low in January due to reduced leisure travel. Freight traffic is operating through the Gotthard Base Tunnel at reduced capacity.

A Eurocity train to Milan stops at the Altdorf cantonal station       Photo: Markus Zwyssig
 

The S2 train between Brunnen and Erstfeld is suspended
From the timetable change on 14th December2025, and continuing until 5:00 am on 16th February, the mountain-side track between Sisikon and Gruonbach is undergoing renovation. Passengers should thereby expect train cancellations, timetable changes, and altered connections.
The S2 train is suspended between Brunnen and Erstfeld, with replacement buses running between Brunnen and Altdorf, with an additional loop between Altdorf, Flüelen, and Altdorf during peak hours from Monday to Friday. The replacement buses will not run to Erstfeld, as the longer travel time would cause them to arrive and depart at the same time as the IR26/IR46 trains. Passengers traveling to and from Erstfeld should thereby use the InterRegio (IR26/IR46). The IC2 and IC21 trains will also stop in Altdorf at different times, and construction work will take place at Lugano station between January and February 2026, resulting in some timetable changes.

Urban Camenzind, the Uri cantonal director of economic affairs and a member of the cantonal government, expressed understanding and spoke of good communication with the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB). "We were informed in a timely manner about the construction work, which will last a total of 180 days, and are convinced of the necessity of such extended intervals, which fortunately do not fall during peak travel times." He spoke of positive experiences with previous closures. "Rail passengers reacted with understanding, adjusted themselves to the changed departure times, and were well informed and supported by the SBB."