Cross-border train services between the canton of Ticino and Italy’s Lombardy region will face four consecutive weekend shutdowns starting 18 October 2026, according to a notice published on 7 October by specialist portal Frontaliere Ticino. Infrastructure manager Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI) needs to carry out major maintenance in the 110-year-old Monte Olimpino 1 tunnel north of Como. From 20:20 Friday until 04:20 Monday on each affected weekend, the tunnel will be completely closed. Long-distance EuroCity trains between Zürich/Basel and Milan, as well as TILO regional services RE80, S10 and S40, will be diverted via the parallel Monte Olimpino 2 bore. Because the alternative route bypasses Como San Giovanni and Como Camerlata, those stations will have no Swiss-bound service. To maintain a minimal connection, RE80 trains will make an exceptional stop at Cucciago, where passengers can interchange with Trenord’s S11 suburban line. The closure is more than a nuisance for the 80 000 Italian residents who commute daily to jobs in Ticino and for Swiss firms that rely on seamless weekend travel to and from Milan’s business hubs. Human-resources teams should expect higher Monday-morning absenteeism and plan alternative mobility budgets – for example reimbursing staff for park-and-ride parking at Chiasso or hotel stays in Ticino. Logistics managers moving time-critical goods by rail will also need to re-route via Chiasso’s freight yard or shift to road haulage. SBB and TILO advise travellers to consult the online timetable or the SBB Mobile app shortly before departure, as precise diversions differ between services. Passengers requiring assistance are asked to book at least one hour in advance in Switzerland and 48 hours in Italy. The maintenance work coincides with an already busy autumn timetable that includes engineering possessions on the Gotthard axis, so spare capacity will be tight. For global-mobility and travel-management professionals the practical steps are: 1) warn employees with cross-border commutes, 2) block higher rail-replacement taxi expenses into cost projections, and 3) monitor subsequent RFI updates – a fifth closure weekend may be added if works slip behind schedule.
Source: Frontaliere Ticino
