Switzerland is considered by many the leading example when it comes to European rail freight. Yet, data shows that even here the sector has been losing ground since the mid-1990s. Over the past 30-odd years, the share of rail freight has decreased by 30%, the Swiss Office for Customs and Border Safety said.
Other than rail freight, transport via inland shipping and pipelines also lost a significant share over the past three decades. The only winner is road freight, which went from moving half of the international freight in Switzerland in 1995 to over two thirds in 2024. The growth of road freight transport looks all the more problematic if we consider that volumes moved across the Swiss borders have surged.
Two decades of stagnation
In 1995, around 49 million tonnes of goods entered or left Switzerland and roughly half of it was moved by trucks, with 20% travelling on rail and 15% each for inland shipping and pipelines. By 2024, the total number of tonnes has grown to 64,5 million, with a peak of 73 million in 2017.
However, the share of rail and inland shipping dropped to 13% and 8% respectively, while pipeline transport fell to 11%. On the other hand, road freight kept capturing volumes, going from 50% to 67% of the total moved. This modal split has remained somewhat stable since the mid-2000s, highlighting the stagnation of the non-road modalities.
Mega-projects not contributing
The decline and stagnation of rail freight has become a very European trend, despite pledges of policies aimed at the exact opposite (Green Deal, Greening Freight Package, etc…). The fact that it has also been happening in Switzerland, a country that showed real commitment to rail freight in recent times, reveals a systemic problem that does not only occur because of infrastructure constraints.
Even mega-projects which promised a significant modal shift to rail are not contributing as much as expected. Remaining in Switzerland, the Lotschberg and Gotthard Base Tunnels were opened in 2007 and 2016, creating an improved rail infrastructure meant to make transalpine rail freight more attractive. However, the data clearly shows that trucks have by far remained the preferred mode of transport.
Who’s to blame?
Inverting this trend seems to be an impossible task for Europe. On the contrary, it is getting worse each year, even in the Helvetic Federation. Here, in 2024, rail freight recorded its worst performance since 2009. According to some Swiss politicians, most of the blame is to be assigned to the European Union and its somewhat loose approach.
Years of talks, meetings and studies have not brought significant positive changes in the EU. Policies often remain on a voluntary basis for Member States, which often translates to them not being adopted on a large scale, further highlighting the fragmentation and stagnation of the sector. And the problem is that this attitude seems to be here to stay, as the EU remains reluctant to enforce initiatives for a greener supply chain.
