’s international links


Rouge, the Viaduc de la Jonction, where the river Arve joins the Rhone, will be refurbished with work due to start next year. “We’ll leave the existing foundations and bridge piers as they are, but rebuild the superstructure with twin tracks and add a wider footpath for pedestrians and a cycle track,” Da Trindade says.


Huge project The next section to the south, dubbed


Praille Acacias Vernets (PAV), is a huge industrial area with a large railfreight yard and is earmarked for development into residential and office premises. “This is a huge project,” smiles Da Trindade. “Carouge-Bachet is also part of PAV and the southern entry for a lot of cars: the idea is to encourage people to use the park-and-ride facilities because there is a good tram service as well. Geneva Public Transport’s (TPG) main office is here as is a huge maintenance depot for trams. So it’s a big interface.”


In the southern area of PAV is La Chapelle-Les Sciers, which is also being redeveloped as a new residential area.


IRJ May 2013


“That’s the main idea behind this project,” Da Trindade says. “Geneva has to grow and develop, but land is scarce, so the only way to do it is to think in wider terms about greater Geneva. Now people have started to look at the region as a whole from Nyon to Annécy, an area roughly 60km in diameter. The canton of Geneva has a population of about 350,000, greater Geneva about 1 million. By 2030 this is projected to grow to about 1.2 million. However, rather than building in the countryside, Geneva is redeveloping existing areas, not only at Carouge-Bachet but also at Trois- Chênes and Eaux-Vives. And that is another good reason for putting stations and track underground.” The new line section includes two new bridges, one over the Arve and a small


Geneva to Airport


to Lausanne


Geveva Cornavin


Eaux-Vives N


Lancy-Pont Rouge


IRJ Champel-Hospital Carouge-Bachet to Bellegarde 29


FRANCE to Annecy


one at Pont sur la Seymaz. In the Val d’Arve section, a temporary pontoon bridge for use by construction vehicles was erected over the river in February, while the new railway bridge will provide access via another tunnel to new stations at Carouge-Bachet and Champel-Hôpital, the university hospital which has 10,000 staff and is also served by nearby clinics. “The only way to get there at the moment is by car or trolleybus, so it definitely needs more capacity,” Da Trindade says. “It will also have the deepest station in the


Lake Geneva


Existing lines Lines being rebuilt New line being built


to Evian-les-Bains SWITZERLAND Chene-Bourgî Annemasse


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