the architect Aurelio Galfetti. This has included the redevelopment of the forecourt of the station, especially in terms of pedestrian safety. In 2007 the station underpass was restored, and a third (northern) platform was constructed, which allows access to the station from the north. The opening of the Ceneri Base Tunnel in December 2020 reduced travel times from Bellinzona to Lugano by 15 minutes. Facilities The station is owned and operated by the Swiss Federal Railways. It contains four tracks, arranged with flanking side platforms and a central island platform. The main station buildings are on the platform on the city centre side of the station, but there is also access from the Besso side of the station to the adjacent platform. Both of these platforms, and the island platform between them, are linked by two pedestrian underpasses. In front of the station is a large forecourt, from which traffic other than buses and taxis is excluded. Local buses of the Trasporti Pubblici Luganesi (TPL) operate from the southern end of the forecourt, whilst regional buses of the AutoPostale and Autolinee Regionali Luganesi operate from the northern end. The station to city funicular, also operated by TPL, runs from a platform directly adjacent to the main station building, descending in tunnel under the forecourt. The station does not include any freight handling facilities. Freight in the Lugano area is handled through the Lugano Vedeggio freight yard, constructed in the 1970s and accessed via a branch from the Gotthard railway near Taverne-Torricella station. Services Located near the southern end of the Gotthard railway and the southern portal of the Ceneri Base Tunnel, Lugano is served by long-distance trains from northern Switzerland, principally Zurich and Basel, including EuroCity trains to Milan in Italy. It is also served by local trains of the Treni Regionali Ticino Lombardia (TILO). the following services stop at Lugano: EuroCity / InterCity: half-hourly service to ; hourly service to , , , , or ; hourly to half-hourly service to Zürich Hauptbahnhof, and service every two hours to . : half-hourly service to and and hourly service to Milano Centrale. / : half-hourly service to , and Mendrisio and hourly service to Chiasso, , or . : half-hourly service to , serving stations on the original high level Ceneri pass route, and hourly service to Mendrisio. Gotthard Panorama Express: daily tourist oriented service via the original high level