Now Rösti informs NRLA not exploiting its full potential - due to Germany acting as a brake pad
The transfer of transalpine freight traffic from road to rail has come to a standstill in the last two years. The slow expansion of access routes, particularly in Germany, is slowing things down.
19.11.2025, 14:00
SDA
The transfer target of 650,000 truck journeys set by the Alpine Initiative adopted in 1994 was also exceeded in 2024. Instead, 960,000 trucks drove through the Alps, according to the Federal Council's new modal shift report adopted on Wednesday.
Five years after commissioning, the potential of the New Rail Link through the Alps (NRLA) with the base tunnels through the Gotthard, Lötschberg and Ceneri has not been exhausted. The rail share of freight traffic through the Alps was 70.4% at the end of 2024, 2.6 percentage points lower than in 2022. 2025 is set to see a further decline.
Slow expansion in the north
The main stumbling block is the northern access route, as the Federal Council noted. Modernization there is making slow progress. The infrastructure therefore makes reliable operation impossible and does not meet the requirements of an efficient freight railroad.
Where the lines have been modernized, construction sites and a lack of capacity on the alternative routes are hampering the quality and productivity of rail freight transport.
The Federal Council therefore intends to work towards rapid modernization in neighbouring countries in the coming years. It is also committed to better international coordination and adequate detour.
Concrete measures initiated
By 2028, the German Stuttgart - Singen route and its Swiss extension Schaffhausen - Oerlikon - Othmarsingen#AG are to be upgraded so that they relieve the German Rhine Valley route and serve as an alternative route.
This year, Switzerland and France started work on upgrading the route on the left bank of the Rhine to a modern and efficient NRLA access route. Two tunnels are being expanded near Basel for this purpose. The main work will begin in 2026.
Compensation for the rolling highway
The looming decline in transalpine rail freight traffic could be exacerbated by the discontinuation of the Rolling Highway in mid-December, the report continued. The national government wants to limit this with additional financial incentives and promote unaccompanied combined transport.
This includes the transportation of semi-trailers, containers and swap bodies by rail. The Federal Council is also examining the continuation of the subsidy for combined transport through the Alps, which was previously limited until 2030.
The Federal Council also wants to make the performance-related heavy vehicle charge (HVC) mandatory for electric trucks in future. However, they will have to pay less than trucks with fossil fuels. This is also intended to maintain the competitiveness of the railroads compared to the road. The National Council is expected to decide on the bill in the winter session.
