Last weekend, Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) and Zurich Transport Network (ZVV) opened the first sections of the cross-city link: the Löwenstrasse station and the Weinberg tunnel. It was a successful start, and services began without any major incidents.
Electrical installations: from the escalators to the mechanical room
They too work thanks to Alpiq InTec. The building technology experts at Alpiq InTec Ost AG were responsible for the majority of the electrical installation work, including, for example, for installing the lighting in the new underground station. They moreover fitted and connected safety and surveillance systems, signage (signposts, lighted boards and other fittings), departure boards, escalators and ticket machines.
Alpiq InTec specialists’ expertise was also called upon behind the scenes in the mechanical rooms, where they were responsible for some of the cabling and supply work.
Fresh air for the shops in the new shopping arcade
Alpiq InTec was also involved in fitting out the new shops in the Gessnerallee arcade. Air-conditioning, refrigeration, ventilation, heating and sanitation systems were installed for a total of ten properties for various tenants.
The project managers responsible, Ranko Lukic (electrics) and Claudio Emmanuello (HVARS), both stress that the actual installation work was no more complex than on other projects. The fact that the cross-city link is the largest inner-city building site in Switzerland and that the work was carried out underground meant that the challenges were rather of a logistical nature. For example, it was important that the client’s detailed safety instructions were complied with in full.
Faster connections thanks to the cross-city link
The cross-city link, which will cost around two billion Swiss francs in total, forms a big curve that cuts across the city of Zurich from Altstetten via the main station to Oerlikon. The heart of the project is the Löwenstrasse station: located around 16 metres below platforms four through nine, it reduces congestion in the main station, allows for quicker travel times and adds another 44 shops to the existing range. To the east, the Weinberg tunnel connects the Löwenstrasse station to Oerlikon, while to the west, two impressive bridges will connect the new underground station to Altstetten at the end of 2015.