The Hochrhein Railway to Be Electrified—Major Closures for Months. What It Means for Commuters and Travelers.
Hochrhein Railway's €434M upgrade to electrify cross-border travel by 2027
Starting this Sunday, trains will no longer run on nearly the entire Hochrhein Railway line. Between Rheinfelden (Lörrach district) and Erzingen station in Klettgau (Waldshut district), extensive construction work will force passengers to rely on replacement buses for several months.
Line to Be Electrified
The reason is the full electrification of the Hochrhein Railway between Basel and Erzingen, as well as the reactivation of the Wutach Valley Railway, Deutsche Bahn announced. The Waldshut–Erzingen section is expected to reopen in March 2027, while the Rheinfelden–Waldshut section should resume service in July 2027.
From Sunday, replacement bus services will operate in Rheinfelden, Bad Säckingen, and Waldshut. The stops are clearly marked, with signs indicating the direction of the buses and whether they are replacing the RE30 regional express or the RB30 regional train. On the Basel–Waldshut–Erzingen route, buses will run every 30 minutes. In the Wutach Valley, a full replacement service has been set up, operating every 120 minutes.
New Stops and Accessible Stations
In addition to installing new overhead lines, three new stops will be built in Rheinfelden-Warmbach, Bad Säckingen-Wallbach, and Waldshut-West. According to Deutsche Bahn, Waldshut, Lauchringen, and Tiengen stations will undergo comprehensive renovations. All stations along the Hochrhein line will also become fully accessible. After the upgrades, modern and quieter electric trains will replace the old diesel units, and service frequency is set to increase.
The Hochrhein Railway connects the Baden districts of Waldshut and Lörrach with the economic hub of Basel in Switzerland, making it a vital route for commuters.
The massive project carries a total price tag of around €434 million, with Switzerland contributing 50 million Swiss francs (approximately €54.5 million). Deutsche Bahn aims to complete all construction work by December 2025.
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