Zurich voters approve CHF 159 million tram extension to Affoltern

City of Zurich voters on Sunday backed a 159-million-franc credit for a new tram line to the northern district of Affoltern, one of the largest municipal public transport projects in recent years. The referendum passed with 93,439 yes votes against 43,936 no votes, a turnout of 60.4 percent. All nine city electoral districts supported the proposal, including the affected Kreis 11 (Affoltern) where approval reached around 66 percent.

What the project delivers

The approximately four-kilometre extension will run mostly on a dedicated track between Brunnenhof and Holzerhurd, supplementing the existing Line 11. Once complete, trams will offer roughly 50 percent more capacity than today's double-articulated buses on route 32, which the city says can no longer handle the forecast passenger growth. Affoltern is projected to have over 30,000 residents by 2040. The line will also create a direct, one-seat connection to Zurich main station and the city centre. The busy Wehntalerstrasse corridor will be redesigned and upgraded as part of the works.

Financial split

Of the total estimated cost of 560 million francs, the canton of Zurich is expected to contribute 306 million and the Swiss federal government 103.8 million, leaving the city with a 159-million-franc share. That city portion comprises around 99 million for street-space improvements and land transfers plus a voluntary 60-million-franc payment into the cantonal transport fund. Critics had called that payment a precedent for offloading infrastructure costs onto municipalities, but the city council stated the money is earmarked and will likely flow back into tram infrastructure.

Political reactions

FDP politician Përparim Avdili welcomed the outcome. "We are very pleased and feel confirmed in our strategy," he said. The centre-left SP, Mitte, EVP and part of the GLP had campaigned for the project. On the losing side, Christian Häberli of the Alternative Left expressed disappointment but argued the district deserved a better design: "Affoltern deserves a tram, but a better project than the present one." He cited the planned felling of trees as one shortcoming. The Greens, SVP and some GLP representatives also opposed the tram, while the SVP described it as harassment of drivers. The city government and a majority of the municipal parliament had backed the plan, citing the capacity gain and the street upgrade.

Timeline to operations

Construction is scheduled to begin in 2028, with the first trams expected to run in 2031. The vote ensures the ground-level infrastructure can proceed once the cantonal parliament approves its funding contribution.

A separate ballot item on Sunday, a record 2.3-billion-franc credit to expand the city's district heating network to cover around 60 percent of Zurich by 2040, had not yet produced a final result at the time of reporting.