Federal Councillor Rösti on "Transport 2045" People should decide separately on rail and road projects

Today, ETH Zurich is presenting its study on the question of which rail and road projects the Swiss should prioritize up to the year 2045. It will serve as a basis for decisions by the Federal Council and Parliament.

According to a report, there are more plans and wishes for expansions to the Swiss rail and road network than there is money available. "Comprehensive discussions are needed now," said Transport Minister Albert Rösti on the priorities formulated in an ETH report.

According to the experts' assessment, the major projects should be supplemented with targeted expansions at capacity-critical points in the transport network. Small-scale expansions, on the other hand, would leave fundamental deficiencies and capacity bottlenecks in place for decades to come.

Transport Minister Albert Rösti told the media in Bern on Thursday that he could not and would not yet comment on the experts' findings. However, the study provides a good basis for further action.

"We envision a blanket decree here"

"We now need comprehensive discussions, especially with those directly affected and the cantons," said Rösti. This is particularly the case where the results of the report do not meet expectations. "We are approaching this with an open mind; we need a proposal that is capable of winning a majority."

The Federal Council will not comment on the report until January. First of all, it wants to obtain the opinions from the regions and then set benchmarks for a consultation draft. The consultation draft, which includes rail, road and also projects from the agglomerations, should then be ready by mid-2026.

"We envisage a blanket decree here," said Rösti. However, parliament should deal with the federal decisions for each mode of transport separately and a referendum will also be possible for each. According to Rösti, the aim is for Parliament to at least be able to pass the first resolutions from 2027.

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3.08 pm

Press conference over

Federal Councillor Albert Rösti's media conference is over. A summary will follow shortly.

2.50 pm

Vote on highway and rail separately

Federal Councillor Albert Rösti emphasizes that there should be no delays in ongoing infrastructure projects as long as Parliament has not yet made its decisions.

In future, a joint consultation procedure is to be introduced for road and rail projects. The aim is to enable a holistic view of transport development.

Despite this joint planning, it is planned that voters will later be able to decide separately on rail and motorway projects at the ballot box.

2.40 p.m.

The next steps in detail

The Federal Council has defined the procedure for the expansion of transport infrastructure. By the end of January 2026, the Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC) is to propose the projects that are to be included in the next expansion stages for national roads and rail infrastructure as well as in the fifth agglomeration transport program.

The consultation draft should be available by the end of June 2026. It is based on the report commissioned by Transport Minister Albert Rösti last January. Rösti wants to ensure that Parliament decides on the next steps before the end of this legislative period - i.e. before the 2027 federal elections.

2.34 pm

Rösti: Report is a very good basis

Head of DETEC Albert Rösti explained that the so-called Weidmann report was presented to the Federal Council yesterday. He himself had only received the report a few days ago and could not yet comment on it in detail, but described it as a very good basis.

The report, written by ETH professor Ulrich Weidmann, shows which transport projects are particularly high priority up to 2045. The responsible federal offices in DETEC have already begun analyzing the report.

2.30 p.m.

Federal Councillor Rösti begins press conference

SVP Federal Councillor and Transport Minister Albert Rösti has arrived punctually in the large hall of the Media Center and has just opened the press conference. He will explain how the Federal Council is reacting to the expert report and what the next steps are.

2.15 p.m.

Summary: ETH presents Weidmann report

Following the popular rejection of the freeway expansion in November 2024, the Federal Council has ordered a fundamental reassessment of Swiss transport planning. ETH Professor Ulrich A. Weidmann presented the so-called Weidmann Report in Bern today.

The "Transport 2045" report aims to clarify which road and rail projects should be prioritized by 2045. In total, ETH examined around 500 projects with an investment volume of 112 billion Swiss francs.

In the report, Weidmann clearly focused on rail transport: the Zimmerberg Base Tunnel 2, the fourth track at Zurich's Stadelhofen station and the Lucerne through station are given particularly high priority. In contrast, several expensive road projects are to be postponed or canceled, including the Glattal freeway and the expansion of the A1 near Bern-Wankdorf.

In north-western Switzerland, the Rhine tunnel near Basel will once again be given priority. According to the ETH report, it is intended to separate long-distance traffic from urban traffic and thus create capacity. In contrast, the planned direct S-Bahn connection between Basel SBB and Badischer Bahnhof will be postponed until after 2045.

Weidmann was critical of controversial projects such as the Grimsel Railway. When asked by blue News, he explained that the assessment "had to be based on the documents from the Federal Office". An independent examination of the project quality was "not possible".

This afternoon, Transport Minister Albert Rösti (SVP) will explain how the Federal Council is reacting to the results. The report will serve as a basis for political prioritization as part of the "Transport 2045" programme.

2.04 p.m.

First press conference ends

The ETH press conference with Professor Ulrich Weidmann is over. It continues at 2.30 p.m. with the statement by Federal Councillor and Transport Minister Albert Rösti (SVP).

1.55 p.m.

How was an independent audit possible?

When asked by blue News why controversial projects such as the Grimsel Railway are nevertheless given high priority in the report, ETH professor Ulrich Weidmann explains that the assessment "had to be based on the documents of the Federal Office".

Although they carried out their own investigations, they were unable to check the actual quality of the project themselves. "We had to rely on the statements in the project documents," said Weidmann. An independent plausibility check was not possible - "we have a reservation here".

1.39 pm

This is how Rösti wanted to expand last year

As a reminder: last year, the electorate rejected several freeway expansion projects costing a total of CHF 4.9 billion.

The people voted on these projects in 2024

• A1 between Le Vengeron and Nyon
• A1 between Bern-Wankdorf and Schönbühl
• A1 between Schönbühl and Kirchberg
• A2 near Basel (new Rhine tunnel)
• A4 near Schaffhausen (2nd tube of the Fäsenstaub Tunnel)
• A1 near St. Gallen (3rd tube Rosenberg tunnel)

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Nevertheless, Professor Weidmann still lists key projects such as the expansion between Bern-Wankdorf and Schönbühl, the Rhine Tunnel and the Fäsenstaub Tunnel as priorities in his paper.

1.35 p.m.

How every region should benefit

The ETH professor now shows a slide with selected examples per region that should be prioritized between 2025 and 2045.

In Greater Zurich, the focus is on closing the gap in the Oberland highway, the Zimmerberg Base Tunnel 2 and the fourth track at Stadelhofen station. In Central Switzerland, the Zurich-Zug-Lucerne rail axis is being strengthened with the Lucerne through station.

Selected example projects per region

• Léman et Alpes Occidentales: Expansion of the Lausanne-Genève axis for capacity and redundancy; focus on rail expansion.
• Northwestern Switzerland: resumption of the Rhine tunnel, integral expansion of SBB West station, priority on streetcar expansion.
• Capital region: Neuchâtel-La Chaux-de-Fonds and Grimseltunnel with spatial structural significance for regions.
• Central Switzerland: Strengthening the Zurich-Zug-Lucerne+ rail axis; overall through station project prioritized.
• Southern Switzerland: Two major freeway projects prioritized: Collegamento N2/N13 and N2 Lugano-Mendrisio.
• Greater Zurich area: Gap closure on the Oberland freeway; Zimmerberg Base Tunnel 2 and fourth Stadelhofen track prioritized.
• Lake Constance and Eastern Alps: resumption of Rosenberg Tunnel and double-track expansion of Walensee railroad line prioritized.

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In the west, the focus is on the Lausanne-Geneva railroad extension, and in the south on two major highway projects near Lugano and Mendrisio.

Other priorities are the Rhine tunnel and streetcar expansion in north-western Switzerland, the Grimsel and Neuchâtel tunnels in the capital region and the double-track expansion of the Walensee line and the Rosenberg tunnel in the east.

1.30 p.m.

Assessment of the Zurich region

According to the ETH study, the Glatttal highway is to be scrapped. Priority will be given to the Uster-Betzholz Oberland highway, while the Fäsenstaub tunnel will be postponed until after 2045.

In rail transport, the Zimmerberg Base Tunnel 2 and the fourth track at Stadelhofen station have top priority, as they are central to the future efficiency of the Zurich network.

The direct Zurich-Aarau connection, on the other hand, has been postponed. The streetcar and light rail projects in Zurich North and the Glatt Valley, which are to be implemented by 2045, are given high priority.

1.26 p.m.

Wankdorf freeway project given lower priority by Rösti

In the capital region of Bern, it is striking: The planned A1 expansion between Wankdorf-Schönbühl and Weyermannshaus-Wankdorf is ranked lower in the "Traffic 2045" report. ETH professor Ulrich Weidmann classifies the two sections in the "possible priority after 2045" category according to a technical assessment.

The A1 Bern-Wankdorf-Schönbühl project was rejected in a referendum on November 24, 2024.

1.14 p.m.

How the reviewed projects are distributed regionally

The "Transport 2045" report assessed a total of 226 projects with an investment volume of CHF 112.7 billion. The largest amount of funding will flow into the greater Zurich area (58 projects, CHF 31.7 billion) and the Léman and Western Alps region (51 projects, CHF 29.1 billion).

This was followed by Northwestern Switzerland (34 projects, CHF 21.7 billion), the capital region of Bern (37 projects, CHF 8.8 billion) and the Lake Constance and Eastern Alps region (27 projects, CHF 10.3 billion). Smaller investment volumes are accounted for by Central Switzerland (8 projects, CHF 6.3 billion) and Southern Switzerland (7 projects, CHF 3 billion).

Cross-regional projects account for a further CHF 1.8 billion. In total, the 226 projects are based on around 500 audited individual projects.

1.10 p.m.

Seven projects with the highest priority in Western Switzerland

Professor Ulrich Weidmann has broken down the 500 or so projects examined by region and classified them according to their urgency. In western Switzerland, the Geneva-Lausanne rail link is at the top of the list of major projects. The line is a symbol of the congestion on the west-east axis.

The complete double-track expansion, including the underground main station in Geneva (Cornavin) and the new Morges-Perroy section, is considered to be crucial in order to cope with the future increase in traffic volumes in the Léman corridor.

1.07 p.m.

How did Professor Weidmann proceed?

ETH Professor Ulrich A. Weidmann and his team analyzed and compared around 500 road, rail and conurbation transport projects according to a uniform grid for the "Transport 2045" report.

They assessed which projects would improve the transport system the most - for example by reducing congestion, increasing frequency, improving safety or improving environmental compatibility. Strategic aspects were also taken into account: Which projects are internationally relevant, where are bottlenecks imminent and how do they fit into long-term planning?

The experts also examined more cost-effective alternatives, such as modern signaling technology on the railroad or additional lanes on existing roads. Finally, they categorized all projects into six priority levels: from "urgent by 2045" to "not necessary or too expensive". The result is a clear ranking across all modes of transport, which should serve as a basis for future political decisions.

1.01 p.m.

Press conference begins

The press conference on the second basement floor of the Federal Media Center began punctually at 1 pm. Professor Ulrich "Ueli" Weidmann is at the center of the live broadcast. He has been commissioned by the federal government to investigate which rail and road projects should be prioritized by 2045.

At the start of the press conference, Weidmann emphasizes that this is a technical report, not a political one. He is aware that the political debate will only take place afterwards.

1.00 p.m.

ETH presents the Weidmann Report today

Yesterday, the so-called Weidmann Report was still a secret document that was only available to the top cadres at SBB, politics and administration. Today it is being presented to the public. The report is part of the "Transport '45" program, which aims to reorganize the future planning of rail and road transport.

Behind the report is ETH Professor Ulrich A. Weidmann - a proven rail expert. In specialist circles, he is regarded as a "serious expert and railwayman", sometimes - not meant mockingly - as "Mr. Transport".

Weidmann knows the system from the inside: Between 1995 and 2004, he managed various areas at SBB, most recently as Head of the Infrastructure Division. The "Tages-Anzeiger" once ran the following headline about him: "This professor should re-plan Swiss transport".

blue News will be ticking the ETH press conference from the Federal Palace media center from 1 pm. At 2.30 p.m., Federal Councillor and Transport Minister Albert Rösti (SVP) appears before the media - and explains how things will proceed politically.

It is likely to have a lasting impact on SwitzerlandSecret paper causes nervousness at the highest level in the Confederation

12.55 p.m.

What is the background?

After the popular rejection of the expansion of the motorways in November 2024, the Federal Council pulled the emergency brake - and ordered an overall review. ETH professor Ulrich A. Weidmann and his team were tasked with examining all 500 or so expansion projects on roads, railways and in conurbations. The task: to find out what really has priority.

If everything was implemented, it would cost 112 billion Swiss francs. Weidmann's task was not to dissect every detail, but to bring order to the countless desires.

The benefits for the transport system, economic efficiency, costs, interaction of the projects and their impact on the overall network were evaluated. In the end, the experts divided all projects into six priority levels.

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