For Implenia CEO André Wyss, new tunnels in Europe are essential in the face of urbanization and growing mobility needs. The future CFF administrator pleads for a modernization of construction regulations.
“There is no way to escape the construction of tunnels,” said André Wyss on Saturday in an interview with the German-speaking weekly Schweiz am Wochenende. According to him, underground solutions often make the most sense in densely populated areas.
And this doesn’t just apply to transportation projects. He cites energy infrastructures such as Implenia’s district heating projects in Hamburg, the supply of Berlin and data centers that can also be built underground.
To accommodate population growth, there are two options, Wyss insists: expand widthwise or vertically. And to deplore the many obsolete legal bases in Switzerland which make it difficult to build upwards.
Switzerland has too many regulations, even if “it is not as serious as in the EU”, believes the boss of Implenia. He cites the example of noise protection which prevents the construction of housing in many city centers.
Possible conflict of interest
André Wyss, who will leave Implenia next March, will be elected to the SBB board of directors at the general meeting in April. He is expected to succeed Monika Ribar as president of the supervisory body in 2026: “The area of passenger and freight transport is still new to me, but I am very happy to familiarize myself with it “, he declares.
The SBB regularly awards construction mandates through calls for tender. As current boss of Implenia, André Wyss is also a shareholder in the company. Asked about possible conflicts of interest, he assures that he will treat them in a “professional and ethical manner” and would withdraw if necessary.
Mr Wyss says he intends to sell all his Implenia shares without restriction in the medium term in a structured process. He emphasizes that as administrator of the SBB, he will have no direct influence on the calls for tenders in any case.
This article was automatically published. Source: ats
