Institutions in Switzerland are pushing for various policies aimed at increasing the share of rail freight, especially when it comes to Digital Automatic Coupling (DAC) and single wagonload (SWL). However, there are many Swiss voices who think that these initiatives will not necessarily lead to improvements for all and that some goals are unrealistic.
The latest ‘pro rail freight’ initiative comes from the Swiss Federal Office of Transport (FOT), which is accepting proposals from the sector for future offerings in SWL traffic. Companies interested in SWL services can submit their ideas until the end of March. “On this basis, the FOT will start the actual bidding process, which is expected to last until the end of August”, the FOT said.
The financial support for SWL is part of the revision of the freight transport law in Switzerland, which wants to put more goods on rail and inland waterways, removing them from the roads. The Swiss Federal Council decided to redirect funds meant for infrastructure upgrades towards SWL development. State aid for these operations are often considered vital as it traditionally is not a very profitable segment.
‘Being the first with DAC won’t necessarily be advantageous’
Another key point of the revision of the law in Switzerland is support for DAC deployment. Switzerland is one of the countries most involved in the project together with Germany and Austria. For example, last August, the country pledged a one-time investment of 180 million francs (roughly 190 million euros) for DAC implementation.
However, there are Swiss politicians who are not as confident in DAC. For example, Councilor Lorenzo Quadri from conservative party Ticino League, shared his worries on being the first ones in Europe to be DAC ready. “We need to think that these technologies will be ready in the European Union only in 10 years. If we, as Switzerland, are the first, this will not necessarily bring advantages”, Quadri said.
‘Government’s plans will not change the market’
Other than those not fully convinced about DAC deployment plans, there are those who consider Switzerland’s rail freight goals as a “dangerous utopia”. The Swiss Association of Road Freight Companies (ASTAG), the Swiss Union of Arts and Crafts (USAM) and Swiss corporate union Economiesuisse say that the rail freight policies in the Federation will cost 28 billion francs (29.1 billion euros) of taxpayers money until 2035.
“Even the full implementation of the 2035 Expansion Phase, in the amount of approximately 28 billion francs, would not be sufficient to significantly change the market shares”, the three parties said. Another point raised by ASTAG, USAM and Economiesuisse is that focussing too much on rail freight would slow down the process of decarbonisation of road freight and that transport prices will just increase at the expense of both consumers and businesses.