Riehen defends itself against double-lane tracks as far as Lörrach

The municipal council of Riehen supports a double-track expansion of the railway tracks from Basel to the Village center, but not through the center of Riehens. This is unnecessary, the local council finds.

The Federal Office of Transport and Deutsche Bahn are planning to expand the track on two lanes as far as Lörrach (D), wrote the Riehen council in a statement on Wednesday . The municipal council has always emphasized that “an above-ground expansion in the historic village center is out of the question” Niederholz. But now the planning of the two tracks would lead through the village center to Lörrach. This is “unacceptable” to the local council.

Such a double-lane expansion would have a “serious dividing effect” on properties, cycle paths and pedestrian connections in Riehen’s village center. “Riehen is not prepared to bear the consequences of changes to the plan unilaterally,” says the message.

Basel and Lörrach as beneficiaries

The city of Basel in particular would benefit from a double lane to Lörrach, added Riehens Mayor Hansjörg Wilde (independent) to the Keystone-SDA news agency . The local council called on the Basel city authorities to work towards a solution that would better serve the interests of their rural community. The municipal council is thinking in particular of a variant with tunneling.

Nicole Ryf, media spokeswoman for the Basel building and transport department, confirmed on request that the canton is supporting a double-lane expansion from Riehen to Lörrach. The canton is committed to supporting measures, said Ryf. However, it is not the canton that is responsible for planning the track expansion, but rather the Federal Office of Transport BAV and the regional S-Bahn association Compress S6 from currently 30 minutes to 15 minutes.