Preparations begin for harbour railway relocation in Basel
At the end of January, Basel-Stadt will begin preparatory work for the relocation of the harbour railway in order to create space for the urban development of the Klybeck and Kleinhüningen districts. The construction work will last until 2026 and is part of a comprehensive urban development project.
The city of Basel is planning a large-scale transformation of the Klybeck and Westquai areas. Living and working space for around 8,000 people is to be created there, complemented by green and open spaces. In order to better connect the neighbourhoods to the Rhine and the meadow, the existing harbour railway will have to be removed.
The Grand Council approved a loan of CHF 36 million for this in June 2024. These funds will be used to relocate the harbour railway and other infrastructure facilities, including the customs metering station of Gasverbund Mittelland AG (GVM).
Replacement construction of the customs metering station as the first step
The first step will be to relocate the customs metering station, which feeds the regional gas network, to a new site in the Lange Erlen near Freiburgerstrasse. Construction work will begin in March 2025 and should be completed by the end of 2026. As the construction of a high-pressure gas pipeline in a residential area is not permitted, this location was chosen as the only solution that could be authorised.
Special protective measures apply to the existing trees and the water protection zones. Any necessary tree felling will be compensated for by reforestation and replacement areas.
Construction site coordination to minimise disruption
Other major projects are being carried out in the surrounding area in parallel with the construction of the new customs measuring station. Deutsche Bahn is building a new Wiesenbrücke bridge, while the Basel-Stadt civil engineering office is working with IWB to renovate Freiburgerstrasse. All the work is being closely coordinated in order to clearly signal diversions for traffic and minimise disruption.
With these measures, Basel-Stadt is taking an important step towards sustainable urban development and creating the basis for new, liveable neighbourhoods on the waterfront.