Basel-Stadt: Vote on Tax Deduction & City Center Project in June

The city of Basel, Switzerland, will hold a vote on June 14, 2026, concerning a series of cantonal proposals, including a key decision regarding the “Herzstück” (Heart Piece) project, a long-planned underground railway connection, officials announced Tuesday.

Voters will consider two referendums and two popular initiatives, according to a statement released by the Basel-Stadt government. Alongside the Herzstück decision, the proposals include a direct tax deduction from wages, a concept for managing the city’s pigeon population, and funding for reforestation on Klybeck Island.

The Herzstück project aims to create an underground S-Bahn diameter line connecting Basel SBB and Badischer Bahnhof, the city’s two main railway stations. Originally conceived as a comprehensive underground network with potential extensions to St. Johann and the EuroAirport, the project has faced significant hurdles and undergone revisions in recent years.

Recent reports indicate a scaling back of the original ambitious plans. Instead of a full underground network with multiple stations, the current proposal focuses on a “pure diameter line” directly linking Basel SBB and Badischer Bahnhof. This revised plan is estimated to cost significantly less than the initial Herzstück concept. A report by ETH Professor Ulrich Weidmann, published in October, reportedly played a key role in this shift, concluding that the larger project was not a national priority.

The original Herzstück vision included potential underground stations at Schifflände, in the city center, in the Klybeck quarter, and at the EuroAirport. However, these elements have been removed from the current proposal. The revised plan aims to address a perceived gap in the trinational S-Bahn network serving the Basel region, reducing the need for passengers to change trains and enabling direct access to the city center from surrounding areas in Switzerland, France, and Germany.

The decision on the Herzstück project comes after years of debate and planning. The project’s future remains uncertain as it heads to a public vote, with the outcome potentially reshaping the future of public transportation in Basel.