In the spring session from 27 February to 17 March 2023, some industry-relevant agenda items were on the agenda. Here is a brief overview with our critical appraisal.
This is what it’s all about:
- More funding for the rolling highway (Rola).
- Completion of the Swiss transport hub
- Development of the railway infrastructure fund
Accompanied combined transport (Rolling Road, Rola)
On 8 March 2023, the National Council treated the Federal Council Dispatch of 30 September 2022 on the amendment of the Freight Traffic Transfer Act and on a federal decree on a payment framework for the promotion of accompanied combined transport (Federal Council business 22.064). Our assessment: There is a lack of technology-neutral promotion of transport, especially also in selected regions with volume potential. Quality control should also be extended to conventional transport. We would have considered the extension of the ROLA until 2026 as proposed by the Federal Council to be expedient. In the spring session, the National Council voted in favour of continuing the ROLA until 2028. The upper chamber approved 106 million Swiss francs for the years 2024 to 2028. The proposal now goes to the Council of States.
«Swiss transport hub»
On 9 March 2023, the Federal Council dealt in the second instance with motion 22.4258 «Perspective Rail 2050: A focus also on the realisation and completion of the Swiss transport hub». From the point of view of freight transport, this motion is one-sided and does not lead to the desired results, as a mixed use of passenger transport with high-speed trains and freight transport does not work due to excessive speed differences on the Swiss infrastructure. There is a risk of a deterioration in the quality of freight transport, which fundamentally contradicts Switzerland’s environmental, energy and supply goals. The VAP, however, supports Rail 2050 in principle. The Council of States has accepted the proposal. The prioritisation of the long-distance network was a matter for discussion; transport with short and medium distances should also be taken into account accordingly. Transport Minister Albert Rösti stated that the differences between Parliament and the Federal Council were not great and promised that the Federal Council would present the message on the «Rail Perspective 2050» strategy at the end of the summer and take the motion into account.
Rail infrastructure fund
Matthias Michel, member of the Council of States, has submitted the interpellation 22.4367 «Development of the railway infrastructure fund». This was discussed in the Council of States on 9 March 2023. We are of the opinion that the rail infrastructure fund is healthy and currently see no need for action for the VAP. The liquidity of the fund is less critical than the readiness for execution of the projects and the construction or maintenance under ongoing operations. Federal Councillor Albert Rösti also confirms that, according to current forecasts, the fund will be able to finance operations, substance maintenance and the decided expansions until the end of 2030.
