Switzerland Aims to Promote Rail Freight Transport and Inland Shipping

The Swiss Federal Council aims to strengthen rail freight transport across the board and enhance inland shipping. During a transitional period, the single wagon load traffic will also receive financial support. This is intended to make the entire freight transport system more efficient and ensure supply security in all regions. The Federal Council adopted the message regarding the Freight Transport Act for the Parliament during its meeting on January 10, 2024.

(Bern) The Federal Council wants to strengthen the framework conditions for freight transport by rail and ship so that they can contribute more significantly to supply security across the country. A year ago, it presented two options for consultation. A majority of parties, associations, and cantons favored the option that provides for further developed framework conditions for rail freight transport and inland shipping, along with financial support from the federal government. Based on this, the Federal Council has now adopted the message to Parliament.

Promotion of the Automatic Coupler

Thanks to the digital automatic coupler (DAC), rail freight transport is expected to become simpler, faster, and more economical. For the introduction of the DAC, the Federal Council intends to allocate a one-time budget of 180 million Swiss francs. Another goal is to modernize the single wagon load traffic. The single wagon load traffic operated today by SBB Cargo fulfills important functions in logistics and significantly contributes to ensuring the supply of goods to the country. However, in its current form, it is not economically viable. Therefore, the Federal Council plans to provide financial support for the single wagon load traffic for a limited period of eight years, so that it can become self-sustaining in the medium term. For the first four years, it requests 260 million Swiss francs. Unrestricted are the handling and loading contributions and compensation for the uncovered costs of the ordered freight transport services totaling 60 million per year.

Support for Shipping and Rail

The Federal Council aims to strengthen Rhine shipping with various support measures and create the legal foundations for promoting fossil-free drives in inland shipping as well as for shunting locomotives. This is intended to enable shipping and rail freight transport to make an even greater contribution to supply security in all regions in the future. The interplay of rail, ship, and road in logistics will be further strengthened and ultimately serves to shift freight transport from road to rail and ship.

Inland shipping should also be promoted more strongly in Switzerland (Here the Birsfelden lock)

Fully Compensate Expenses

The Federal Council wants to fully compensate the additional expenses so that there is no additional burden on the general federal budget. A portion of the revenue from the performance-dependent heavy traffic fee (LSVA) is to be used for this purpose, which would otherwise flow into the railway infrastructure fund (BIF). The financing of maintenance and expansion of railway infrastructure through the BIF remains guaranteed.

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