Discontinuation at timetable change The "Rolling Highway" is history
Switzerland is discontinuing the traditional "Rolling Highway" transfer project. The reason is massive restrictions in the international rail network - with far-reaching consequences for the climate, traffic and logistics.
14.12.2025, 07:27
SDA
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- The "Rolling Highway" will be discontinued with the timetable change on Sunday.
- Numerous roadworks and disruptions have made operations economically unviable despite high demand and capacity utilization.
- Up to 80,000 trucks used the RAlpin service every year.
Due to an unexpected number of restrictions on the rail network, the "Rolling Highway" will be discontinued at the end of 2025. In 2024, the operator RAlpin recorded a loss of CHF 2.2 million. Despite financial aid from the federal government, the company can no longer manage the rail loading of entire trucks for the journey through the Alps.
This is the case despite existing demand and good capacity utilization of 80 percent, as RAlpin announced in May. Due to planned and short-term construction sites and other unforeseeable events, around ten percent of trains were already canceled in 2024.
The situation on the "Rolling Highway" (Rola) is symptomatic of the entire transalpine combined transport by rail. The reason for the increasing number of train cancellations on the Rola is, in particular, the persistently high susceptibility to disruption of the rail infrastructure in Germany.
In agreement with the federal government, operations will now be discontinued with the timetable change on Sunday. Just two years ago, Parliament extended financial support for Rola for the last time and originally planned to discontinue it at the end of 2028. Until December, the three shareholders of RAlpin - BLS, SBB and the freight company Hupac - ensured the financing of the operation.
80,000 trucks per year
Despite cost increases in the use of rail infrastructure, energy, terminals and traction, RAlpin has created the conditions in recent years to shift up to 80,000 trucks per year in accompanied combined transport to rail. This corresponds to seven percent of combined transport through the Swiss Alps, the company wrote.
RAlpin is now looking for solutions together with its customers in order to continue transporting their volumes by rail. However, it can be assumed that some of the goods transported on the Rola will first be shifted back to the road.
Backward step in climate policy
The Swiss Transport Workers' Union (SEV) made it clear in a communiqué in May that the discontinuation of Rola would mean a massive shift of freight traffic back to the roads and therefore a significant step backwards in terms of climate policy. This would lead to more congestion on the roads, higher CO2 emissions, more noise and additional pollution for people and the environment.
It is offensive that BLS and SBB, the key players who are tasked with implementing the federal government's modal shift policy, are jointly responsible for this decision.
The Rola - formerly known as the "Rolling Road" - was the first service to shift heavy goods traffic through the Alps from road to rail in the 1960s. Entire trucks or articulated lorries are loaded onto the rails and the drivers travel in an accompanying carriage on the train. Rola is also known as accompanied combined transport.
