Category: Switzerland

Swiss Council asks for public funds to invest in private rail freight facilities

The Swiss Federal Council is asking for 188,8 million euros (185 million francs) for investments in private rail freight facilities, such as terminals and sidings, between 2025 and 2028. Applicants would have to commit to finance at least 40 per cent of the project they want to subsidise with these funds. The money would come…

Germany, Austria and Switzerland ask for EU-wide DAC commitment

The governments of Germany, Austria and Switzerland said that their efforts in the context of deploying Digital Automatic Coupling (DAC) “are necessary, but not sufficient”. They are asking for the creation of an EU-wide funding mechanism, financial commitment from all Member States and strong foundations from the sector. Germany, Austria and Switzerland are thus asking…

DB completes six-track-bundle upgrade in Basel

The line between Basel and Karlsruhe is one of the main bottlenecks for rail freight along the Rhine-Alpine Corridor. Now, some improvements are expected as the track expansion at the Basel-Weil am Rhein was commissioned by Deutsche Bahn (DB) on 29 April 2024. In total, a bundle of six new tracks was built parallel to…

European rail a mixed bag: Polish PKP Cargo profits while others struggle

Rail freight operators in Europe are performing very differently. Big names such as DB Cargo and Lineas are in trouble, but in Poland, the annual figures were an invitation to uncork the champagne bottle. Despite the call for more sustainability in logistics and transport, freight transport by rail is not always an attractive modality for…

Switzerland to invest in CargoBeamer’s Domodossola terminal

The Swiss Federal Office of Transport (FOT) will invest 38,8 million francs (39.5 million euros) to build a transshipment facility in Domodossola, one of the most active rail freight hubs in Italy. The facility in Domodossola is currently managed by CargoBeamer, a German specialist in the transportation of non-cranable semi-trailers. The FOT said that the…

Switzerland asks ERA to update EU contract on the use of freight wagons

In the European Union, the use and maintenance of rail freight wagons is regulated by two directives, one from 2006 for their use and one from 2019 for their maintenance. The Swiss Federal Office of Transport (FOT) is asking the European Railway Agency (ERA) to make a clear statement for the revision of the oldest…

Rail freight across the Alps dropped, but not because of the Gotthard

Freight transport across the Alps in 2023 decreased both when it comes to road and rail, according to the Swiss Federal Office of Transport (FOT). Concerning rail freight, volumes dropped by 5.9 per cent compared to 2022. The FOT stated that the main cause is the general economic situation in Europe, and not the closure…

SBB’s black results cannot hide single wagonload financial bleed-out

The Swiss SBB Group brought its finances back to the black in 2023 for the first time since 2019. Strong passenger transport performance led the Group’s recovery. Cargo performance was still in the red for 2023, despite the closing gap of losses (-40 million francs against -191 million francs in 2022). At the same time, […]