SWISS Federal Railways (SBB) has launched work on a SFr 4.4m ($US 4.4m) maintenance hall for passenger trains in Brig with a ground breaking ceremony on June 26.

The 120m-long maintenance workshop, which is due to open in March 2019, will be equipped with a two-tonne crane, a switchable overhead contact line, a new toilet waste disposal system and large automatic doors.

SBB says this allows work to be carried out more efficiently and reduces the need to move vehicles during maintenance. The new building also improves occupational safety and ergonomics.

In addition to the new maintenance workshop, SBB is also building a new outdoor facility for the cleaning of long-distance trains and trains belonging to its subsidiary Region-Alps. The new cleaning plant will be commissioned in autumn 2018.