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Gotthard Base Tunnel (#5): Too early to assign blame and liability

Gotthard Base Tunnel (#5): Too early to assign blame and liability

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According to the main edition of the SRF Tagesschau news programme from 27 August 2023, the Federal Office of Transport (BAV) views SBB Cargo as solely liable for the consequences of the freight train accident in the Gotthard Base Tunnel. The programme made reference to an oversight of the rail reform; prior to this, all freight wagons had to be sent to the Federal Railways for maintenance. We believe: It is too early for speculations, and certainly not in media with a nationwide audience. Such polemic does not help solve the problem in any way whatsoever. Only the report of the Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (Sust) will establish clear facts – and create opportunities to respond appropriately.

Topics discussed:

  • The state retains the upper hand in the rail market
  • The rail reform did, in fact, reform liability law
  • Wagon keepers are liable independent of fault
  • Federal Council did not propose any legal changes
  • Contractual provisions are public
  • Responsibility must be assigned based on the Sust report
  • Current liability rules are economically balanced
  • Negative consequences of legal changes must be considered

The state retains the upper hand in the rail market
The federal government clearly assigns responsibility for the freight train accident in the Gotthard Base Tunnel to the SBB subsidiary SBB Cargo. A spokesperson for the BAV indicated on SRF Tagesschau on 27 August 2023 that the applicable liability law originates from the time of the Federal Railways. However, the times have not changed. The Swiss Federal Railways, SBB, still dominate the rail freight market. Only a few weeks ago, the Federal Council approved the renationalization of SBB Cargo. In response to the interpellation by FDP National Council Member Christian Wasserfallen, the Federal Council made clear that the private shareholders had not improved the (financial) situation of SBB Cargo.

The rail reform did, in fact, reform liability law
In the course of the rail reform, the international Convention Concerning International Carriage by Rail (COTIF) was amended to create a separation between infrastructure and operations. At the same time, SBB Cargo terminated the siding contracts. The monopoly privilege, which required that freight trains be sent to the Federal Railways for maintenance, was hereby abolished. Instead, the conditions for use of the freight wagons were standardised between the freight railway undertakings and the wagon keepers at the international level on the basis of COTIF in the form of a contract entitled the “General Contract of Use for Wagons (GCU)”. COTIF and the GCU set out more stringent liability rules than are preferred by the BAV with its reservations against internationally uniform industry solutions. Wagon keepers were in for an unpleasant surprise as they took over full responsibility for the future maintenance of their wagons: The SBB provided the wagon keepers with extremely sparse documentation on the condition and maintenance of their freight wagons by SBB Cargo up to the termination of the siding contracts. Since then, the wagon keepers have themselves been responsible for their wagons and have cleaned up the legacy from SBB.

Wagon keepers are liable for deficiencies on their wagons
With his comments on SRF Tagesschau, the BAV spokesperson gave the impression that private freight railway undertakings or wagon keepers are not liable for accident damage. This is not true. European and Swiss freight railway undertakings and wagon keepers have been liable since 2006, when the GCU was established, and these rules were further intensified in 2017. Today, freight railway undertakings are fundamentally liable for damages from accidents involving freight trains on the Swiss rail network regardless of their own culpability (strict liability). If the damages were caused by deficiencies on a third-party wagon, culpability is contractually assumed to lie with the respective wagon keeper. The freight railway undertaking involved can take recourse against the wagon keeper. The latter can only free itself from liability with respect to the freight railway undertaking by proving it was not at fault (reversal of the burden of proof). You can read more about this in our blog post “Gotthard Base Tunnel (#3): Current liability provisions are sufficient”.

Federal Council did not propose any legal changes
SRF news editor Christoph Leisibach stated that the Federal Council issued a report proposing measures for adapting the liability law, such as by increasing the liability of the wagon keepers. This statement is incorrect. In the BAV report from 21 June 2023 addressing postulate 20.4259 “Overall assessment of liability in rail freight transport”, the Federal Council presented options but explicitly declined a modification of the regulations.

Contractual provisions are public
Professor Frédéric Krauskopf was consulted by SRF Tagesschau as an expert. When asked whether SBB Cargo could assert (co-)liability on the part of the wagon keeper of the damaged wagon, Krauskopf referred to the contract between the two parties. As explained above, the relevant contract is the GCU. This contract is publicly available; in other words, it is also accessible to professors and public television networks. The GCU was adopted unanimously by SBB Cargo along with all other national railways in Europe.

Responsibility must be assigned based on the Sust report

We at VAP are intensively examining the question of who bears what fault for the freight train accident on 10 August 2023 and who must accept liability. This can only be answered precisely and within a reasonable timeframe after the Sust report is available.

Current liability rules are economically balanced
The wagon keepers must ensure that their wagons are approved and maintained according to the correspondingly applicable laws, regulations and binding standards. The freight railway undertakings accept the wagons in the trust that the wagon keeper has lived up to these obligations. They carry out all necessary inspections to ensure that the train can travel safely. The wagon keepers have no influence on the train departure. The freight railway undertakings independently decide on the type and manner of the inspections since they are also solely responsible for the operation of the train. It therefore makes economic sense for the freight railway undertakings to be primarily liable for their inspections prior to train departure and for possible consequences. If it is later determined that a deficiency on a wagon was the cause of the damage (such as in the case of wheel failure), the wagon keeper is liable to the freight railway undertaking for the resulting damages. This is the case unless the wagon keeper can prove that it is not responsible for the deficiency (reversal of the burden of proof). In road transport, the liability between the keeper of the tractor vehicle and the keeper of the trailer is regulated in exactly the same way.

Negative consequences of legal changes must be considered
An intensification of the already highly detailed liability provisions will not make rail freight any safer nor will it bring a single additional freight train onto the rail network. On the contrary. Whatever might be changed in the liability rules would have market consequences, such as in the form of higher leasing rates for freight wagons and, above all, more complicated and labour-intensive wagon handoffs from one area of responsibility to the next. This means that a poorly conceived, unilateral change in Swiss law could bring a sudden stop to the free access to 550,000 freight wagons from all over Europe that is guaranteed today by the GCU – to the detriment of the environment as well as the Swiss economy.

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31.08.2023 | Operations Politics , , ,

by | Aug 31, 2023 | Operations, Politics

Accor­ding to the main edi­ti­on of the SRF Tages­schau news pro­gram­me from 27 August 2023, the Fede­ral Office of Trans­port (BAV) views SBB Cargo as sole­ly lia­ble for the con­se­quen­ces of the freight train acci­dent in the Gott­hard Base Tun­nel. The...
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Gotthard Base Tunnel (#4): Safety-critical components of freight wagons

Gotthard Base Tunnel (#4): Safety-critical components of freight wagons

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The publicly published information on the freight train derailment in the Gotthard Base Tunnel indicates a broken wheel on the derailed train. Overloading or material defects are under consideration as possible causes of the failure. What actually happened remains a matter for the ongoing investigations of the Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (Sust).

Topics discussed:

  • How are safety-critical components manufactured?
  • How are they approved and put into operation?
  • How are they maintained?
  • What significance does monitoring have in daily operations?
  • Which monitoring possibilities exist?
  • Uniform rules enable safe cooperation between the actors
  • Outlook for digital automatic coupling (DAC)

How are safety-critical components manufactured?
Safety-relevant and safety-critical components such as wheel pans are designed so as to perform their task over the planned period of use under the prevailing conditions of operation and use and thereby to ensure safe travel. The manufacturing firms make use of internationally recognised standards to accomplish this:

  • Technical Specifications for Interoperability (TSI) establish fundamental requirements.
  • European Standards (EN) define the specific properties.
  • Manufacturers employ harmonised and standardised safety methods for development and testing.
  • Standardised safety verifications and assessments document the safety and usability.

The international experiences from incidents and accidents continuously enter into the development of the standards and TSI.

How are they approved and put into operation?
Bringing safety-critical components onto the market requires an internationally standardised approval from the European Agency for Railways (ERA) or a national safety authority. This consists of:

  • Type approvals for components or vehicles
  • Conformity verifications for identical serial parts or vehicles
  • CE mark (Conformité Européenne) for a component that satisfies the applicable EU directives
  • Operating authorisation for a vehicle in compliance with the rules

The certification that components were manufactured according to the requirements of standards and TSI is issued by so-called “notified bodies”, in other words state-authorised agencies. These inspect and evaluate whether the manufactured products conform to the rules.

How are they maintained?
The manufacturer is obliged to define and publish the applicable maintenance requirements for all components or vehicles. Wagon keepers must implement these manufacturer requirements in accordance with the conditions of use. They appoint certified entities in charge of maintenance (ECMs) for their rolling stock. The latter in turn establish maintenance requirements for the vehicles assigned to them in consideration of their own knowledge and industry expertise. They also plan regular work, carry it out and document the results. Every wagon approved for operation must be registered in an official vehicle registry, including the name of the wagon keeper and the ECM.

What significance does monitoring have in daily operations?
The railway undertakings (RUs) are responsible for the safe travel, preparation, dispatching and other safety aspects of their trains. They define the inspections and tests for ensuring that every trip can be completed safely. To determine this operational suitability, trained employees carry out defined visual inspections before departure. This extremely demanding work takes place at all times of day and in all weather. During the train dispatching and the associated inspections and tests, safety-critical components are also afforded special attention.

Which monitoring possibilities exist?
The wagon keepers are responsible for the proper maintenance of their vehicles. Safety-relevant and safety-critical components are regularly inspected, such as with ultrasound measurements. Safety-critical components are subject not only to strict inspections but also special obligations with regard to labelling, maintenance and traceability of the measures. The RUs can demand wagon-specific information from the wagon keepers.

On the Swiss standard gauge network, the infrastructure operators currently maintain over 250 wayside train monitoring systems. These monitor every vehicle as it passes by for irregularities and can trigger alarms in the event of unacceptable deviations. In this case, the respective train is immediately stopped and inspected.

Uniform rules enable safe cooperation between the actors
A variety of different companies all work together in railway operations. Every actor must be able to depend on the reliability of the others at the points where they interface together. Their tasks and responsibilities are clearly and uniformly regulated at the international level. Harmonised regulations for manufacture, operation and maintenance ensure safe rail transport (for more on the regulations governing the international cooperation, check back on this blog again soon).

Outlook for digital automatic coupling (DAC)
Besides implementation of the applicable requirements by every actor participating in rail transport, new technologies are now coming to the fore. Automation and digitalisation can do more than simply make operating processes more efficient. They also open up new opportunities for operational monitoring of safety-relevant and safety-critical components in freight trains. The ongoing digital recording of the condition of these components offers an attractive opportunity to the responsible parties. By digitally tracking processes of wear and ageing processes on each individual vehicle, it is possible to efficiently plan maintenance work according to the actual needs. Faulty components can be identified and replaced before a total failure. If a component failure occurs during travel, this can immediately trigger an alarm.

To make use of this innovation in freight transport, the wagons require sensor systems, electrical energy and data communication with the train driver, the systems of the wagon keepers and the ECMs. These prerequisites will be met with the planned Europe-wide introduction of DAC (see the blog post “Data ecosystems: Sharing data to double its added value”). In this way, automation and digitalisation are transforming conventional rail freight operations into an intelligent, efficient, resilient and safe mode of transport.

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25.08.2023 | Freight Transport Industry Interoperability , , , ,

by | Aug 25, 2023 | Freight Transport Industry, Interoperability

The publicly published infor­ma­ti­on on the freight train derailm­ent in the Gott­hard Base Tun­nel indi­ca­tes a bro­ken wheel on the derai­led train. Over­loa­ding or mate­ri­al defects are under con­side­ra­ti­on as pos­si­ble cau­ses of the fail­ure. What...
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Gotthard Base Tunnel (#3): Current liability provisions are sufficient

Gotthard Base Tunnel (#3): Current liability provisions are sufficient

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The freight train accident in the Gotthard Base Tunnel has brought up liability questions that were already on the agenda of the Federal Council. In its session on 21 June 2023, the Federal Council issued a report on possible actions to intensify the liability provisions in rail freight transport. Read on to learn what these look like and what we think of them.

Topics discussed:

  • Railway undertakings (RUs) are liable independent of culpability
  • The Federal Council proposes four possible actions – with pros and cons
  • We believe: Responsibilities and controls are sufficiently regulated
  • Actors will live up to their responsibilities even without new provisions

Railway undertakings (RUs) are liable independent of culpability
The status quo is that RUs are fundamentally liable for damages from accidents involving freight trains on the Swiss rail network regardless of their own culpability. This is referred to as strict liability. However, this does not apply if the damage was caused due to deficiencies in a third-party wagon. In that case, culpability is contractually assumed to lie with the respective wagon keeper. The keeper can only free itself of this liability by proving it was not at fault. In legal jargon, this is termed a reversal of the burden of proof.

The Federal Council proposes four possible actions – with pros and cons
In its report from 21 June 2023, the Federal Council was complying with postulate 20.4259 “Overall assessment of liability in rail freight transport”. This was established by means of motion 20.3084 «Clarifying liability rules in rail freight transport” from Frédéric Borloz (see VAP blog post “Motion Borloz”). Within the framework of the overall assessment, the Federal Council presented four possible actions to the Parliament:

  1. Expanding the strict liability of the RUs to also include cases in which the characteristic risk of rail operations was not a causal factor. This would raise the minimum insurance coverage of the RUs.
  2. Oblige the RUs to conclude sufficient liability insurance to also cover damages from the transport of hazardous goods. This would not expand the strict liability of either the RUs or the wagon keepers.
  3. Introduce fault-independent liability on the part of the wagon keepers for damages that were verifiably caused – in whole or in part – by their vehicles or their cargo, e.g. in the event of leaked hazardous goods from a parked wagon. This would oblige the wagon keepers to conclude sufficient liability insurance for such cases.
  4. Keep the current regulations.

The Federal Council notes that each option features pros and cons. The Council sees no urgent need for regulation in this regard. Nevertheless, it is willing to look more deeply into specific variants at the request of the Parliament.

We believe: Responsibilities and controls are sufficiently regulated
As a shipping sector association, we are of the view that the responsibilities and controls are already regulated sufficiently clearly by international law and contracts. The current 2017 version of the “General Contract of Use for Wagons (GCU)”, which constitutes the international shipping provisions in force between over 750 RUs and the wagon keepers, already satisfies option 3 presented by the Federal Council of increased liability on the part of the wagon keepers. According to the GCU, wagon keepers are liable for deficiencies on their wagons if they cannot prove an absence of fault.

Actors will live up to their responsibilities even without new provisions
Wagon keepers who belong to our association maintain extensive insurance coverage under the current liability regime since they are responsible for the maintenance of their wagons. The introduction of an additional legal insurance obligation or strict liability for wagons operating in Switzerland would massively impede the free use of foreign wagons (both private wagons and those of RUs). This would entail a huge loss of flexibility in international freight transport both for import/export and – in particular – for transit. We will continue to follow this topic closely and report on current developments.

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24.08.2023 | Freight Transport Industry Politics , , , , ,

by | Aug 24, 2023 | Freight Transport Industry, Politics

The freight train acci­dent in the Gott­hard Base Tun­nel has brought up lia­bi­li­ty ques­ti­ons that were alre­a­dy on the agen­da of the Fede­ral Coun­cil. In its ses­si­on on 21 June 2023, the Fede­ral Coun­cil issued a report on pos­si­ble actions to inten­si­fy...
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Gotthard Base Tunnel (#2): Automatic wayside train monitoring systems

Gotthard Base Tunnel (#2): Automatic wayside train monitoring systems

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On 10 August 2023, a freight train derailed in the Gotthard Base Tunnel. A few minutes before entering the tunnel through the south portal, the train was inspected by automatic wayside train monitoring systems (WTMSs). According to the monitoring data, the train travelled into the tunnel without problems.

Topics discussed:

  • What are wayside train monitoring systems (WTMSs)?
  • What are WTMSs capable of?
  • What is the process for improving WTMSs?
  • Digital automatic coupling (DAC) and the future

What are wayside train monitoring systems (WTMSs)?
Wayside train monitoring systems (WTMSs) are part of the railway infrastructure and are used at strategically favourable locations within the network. They use sensors and other technologies to inspect every single vehicle of the train as it passes through. The data acquired in this way are processed and used in daily railway operations to ensure safety, improve punctuality and reduce maintenance.

What are WTMSs capable of?
The original purpose was aimed at protecting the infrastructure to reduce disruptions and damage as well as increase the safety of rail operations.
• Detecting hot boxes
• Detecting wheel treads
• Inspecting pantographs
• Preventing fires and chemical incidents
• Measuring axle weight
• Protecting the structure gauge
• Detecting natural events
• And more
On the north-south axis and on the east-west axis, over 10,000 trains are dynamically monitored by over 250 WTMSs every day. A good 20 alarms are triggered each day, on average.

What is the process for improving WTMSs?
In the innovation project “Wayside Intelligence (WIN)”, which is supported with public funds from the Federal Office of Transport (BAV), SBB Infrastructure is working to further improve the monitoring structure. In addition to the sensor data, new image data are collected, and individual vehicles are identified with the help of radio frequency identification (RFID). The data are analysed algorithmically, aggregated and supplied to the users for specific applications via standardised data exchange interfaces. These advancements aim at improving maintenance by referencing the current condition of the vehicle. At the same time, they enable a simplification of the maintenance processes through artificial intelligence and automation. The project has already made significant progress and may lead to increased safety and availability for both the network and the vehicles.

DAC and the future
With the introduction of DAC (Digital Automatic Coupling), the vehicles lined up into trains are connected together by a data line. This means that the infrastructure provider has minute-by-minute information about which vehicles are travelling its network and in which train. Thanks to this train integrity, the data from the WTMSs can be made available more quickly and reliably. To learn more about DAC and the data ecosystem, read our blog post “Data ecosystems: Sharing data to double its added value”. The extent to which DAC might help to prevent train accidents such as the one in the Gotthard Base Tunnel is discussed by VAP rail freight expert Jürgen Maier in an interview with “10 vor 10”.

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17.08.2023 | Freight Transport Industry , , ,

by | Aug 17, 2023 | Freight Transport Industry

On 10 August 2023, a freight train derai­led in the Gott­hard Base Tun­nel. A few minu­tes befo­re ente­ring the tun­nel through the south por­tal, the train was inspec­ted by auto­ma­tic way­si­de train moni­to­ring sys­tems (WTMSs). Accor­ding to the moni­to­ring...
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Gotthard Base Tunnel (#1): Committed to a comprehensive investigation

Gotthard Base Tunnel (#1): Committed to a comprehensive investigation

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On 10 August 2023, a freight train derailed in the Gotthard Base Tunnel. The Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (Sust) believes the likely cause was the failure of a wheel. We at VAP will investigate the event systematically from a risk-oriented perspective.

Topics discussed:

  • Emergency concept functioning, supply ensured
  • Proven responsibility triangle
  • Safety standards complied with
  • Legal relationships comprehensively regulated
  • Breakages are rare but cannot be ruled out
  • Continued pursuit of the modal shift goal

Emergency concepts functioning
Thanks to further improvements to emergency concepts, the key actors responded quickly and appropriately after the accident: The supply of goods is secured, freight and passenger rail cars are on the move again. The emergency concepts of the freight railway undertakings for routing detour traffic along the transit corridor have proven themselves. The lessons from Rastatt have been learned, the industry is prepared for emergencies.

Proven responsibility triangle
The rail freight system is based on cooperation carried out on equal footing between infrastructure providers (for the Gotthard Base Tunnel: SBB) and freight railway undertakings as well as other actors such as wagon keepers, who potentially influence the safe operation of the railway system. All involved have advanced safety systems and implement the same European regulations at the interfaces between the various actors.

Safety standards complied with
According to current information, all actors complied with the applicable safety standards and methods. The last inspection for trains driving through the south portal into the Gotthard Base Tunnel takes place at Claro (TI) by automatic wayside train monitoring systems. According to the available data, the derailed train travelled into the tunnel without problems. The wagon keepers and their entities in charge of maintenance (ECMs) are responsible for the maintenance and safe operating condition of the wagons upon handover to the freight railway undertakings. The ECM, which is certified by independent bodies, defines maintenance measures and ensures their implementation and documentation according to safety standards and methods.

Legal relationships comprehensively regulated
Wagon keepers make their wagons available to freight railway undertakings to use. The freight railway undertakings in turn make use of the networks of the infrastructure providers. All usage relationships are uniformly regulated by contract in Switzerland and internationally. Regarding the relationship between freight railway undertakings and wagon keepers, the Swiss Carriage of Goods Act (GüTG) refers in Art. 20 to the Convention concerning International Carriage by Rail (COTIF). On the basis of this international convention, over 770 freight railway undertakings and wagon keepers in Europe additionally established the General Contract of Use for Wagons (GCU), a multilateral contract in effect since 2006 that regulates in detail the legal relationship between wagon keepers and railway undertakings.

Breakages are rare – but cannot be ruled out
How the derailment occurred is not yet clear and is under continued investigation by the Sust (Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board). As the accident investigation continues, it remains necessary to clarify the cause in addition to questions of liability and responsibility as well as the current safety measures. Breakages on wheel occur very rarely. In this case, both an external influence as well as material fatigue are possibilities. Breakages on critical operating components such as rails or wheel are extremely difficult to predict and have diverse causes. Preventive maintenance of these components with regular inspections is standard, but these measures can reach their limits. In Switzerland, train/wagon inspections by freight railway undertakings and the infrastructure operators as well as inspections by over 250 wayside train monitoring systems are firmly and comprehensively established.

Continued pursuit of the modal shift goal
Everyone understands how far-reaching the impacts of such an event can be on the entire transportation system and how high the damages can be. This is why our industry working group “IG Sicherheit” [IG Safety] engages in close cooperation with all relevant actors in the railway sector within the framework of our annual process for sharing experiences between ECMs as well as in collaboration with the Federal Office of Transport (BAV) in order to continuously improve the state of technology and raise the already very high safety level even higher. We urge that the questions and measures on the agenda be considered in the light of the Sust report. Only this way can the danger of another accident be further reduced while simultaneously continuing to pursue the constitutionally established modal shift goal for freight traffic crossing the Alps. It is therefore all the more important for the Gotthard Base Tunnel to be open for traffic again as soon as possible – especially considering that the Italian economy is poised to pick back up again after its summer pause. Otherwise, the alternative of utilising the available and flexible road transport options will be unavoidable. Accordingly, we offer our assistance and that of our members and industry partners in efficiently organising the detour traffic and reshaping its composition.

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16.08.2023 | Freight Transport Industry , ,

by | Aug 16, 2023 | Freight Transport Industry

On 10 August 2023, a freight train derai­led in the Gott­hard Base Tun­nel. The Swiss Trans­por­ta­ti­on Safe­ty Inves­ti­ga­ti­on Board (Sust) belie­ves the likely cause was the fail­ure of a wheel. We at VAP will inves­ti­ga­te the event sys­te­ma­ti­cal­ly from a...
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EU aid: walking a tightrope between protecting the climate and distorting competition

EU aid: walking a tightrope between protecting the climate and distorting competition

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In wagonload traffic (TWCI) within the European Union (EU), we are witnessing a development that is more political than market-oriented. The EU is promoting the transfer of freight transport to climate-friendly modes of transport such as rail and inland waterway with various programmes and funds, and in principle this is to be welcomed.
The public freight companies, supported by the unions, describe the TWCI as a «public service». However, it is not they who bear the consequences, but the States and shippers. In fact, the subsidies redistributed by the EU at taxpayers' expense mean that the TWCI is heavily subsidised, with no incentive to increase productivity in the interests of sustainable development. This means that the TWCI is using taxpayers', society's and the economy's money to cement a monopoly devoid of any public service obligations such as the obligation to carry or the obligation to publish tariffs.
This lack of market orientation and entrepreneurial spirit on the part of the public railways and the unions will not help to achieve either the traffic transfer objectives or the climate objectives. What's more, as owners of the state-owned railways, governments are taking a long-term, imponderable financial and transport policy risk with regard to security of supply in their countries.
The consequences for shippers are no less serious. To achieve multimodal transport, shippers have to invest in the rail system, while they are dependent on a monopolistic company that is itself financially dependent and managed by political control. This is hardly security of supply and investment.
Subsidies must be used in a targeted and time-limited way to safeguard jobs in the long term and put TWCI on the road to success.
In this blog post, we take a close look at public subsidies in Germany, France, Austria and Switzerland from the perspective of their purpose and scale, and address the issue of conflicts of interest and the necessities involved.

What is at stake?

  • State aid aims to establish sustainable and viable mobility.
  • However, it can give rise to distortions of competition and discrimination.
  • State financial aid must be used to ensure the transition to financial autonomy.
  • Market players specifically need financial support for innovations such as DAC.
  • The bodies granting the aid should check its effectiveness and any breaches of the rules on subsidies.
  • If necessary, the law should be amended.

The European Commission provides financial support for the transfer of freight from road to more environmentally friendly modes of transport, such as inland waterways and rail. It provides financial aid in line with EU guidelines on State aid. The objective of this EU aid is sustainable and intelligent mobility, which in turn is supposed to help reduce CO2 emissions and relieve road congestion as part of the Green Pact for Europe. As is often the case with public funding, in the freight transport sector it is also necessary to ensure that competition in the internal market is not distorted and that self-financing and transparency are achieved.

Comparison of deficit financing in wagonload traffic
Country
Subsidy programme and benefits
Amount of subsidy
Period
Germany

Temporary, non-discriminatory and growth-oriented subsidy of operating costs (BK-EWV)

This grant from the German Federal Ministry of Digital Affairs and Transport is intended as a transitional measure to increase the profitability of the TWCI through the deployment of digital automatic coupling (DAC). The Ministry's aim is to support Federal and non-Federal railway undertakings in national and cross-border transport within the framework of a TWCI system description to be provided. Details of the BK-EWV programme are expected in July.

80 million euros

100 million euros

100 million euros

2023

2024

2025
France

Support for wagonload traffic transport services

The purpose of direct subsidies is to compensate rail companies for the difference in cost between road and rail transport. The beneficiaries are rail companies active in the TWCI sector.

450 million euros, i.e.

150 million euros per year

 2023-2025
Austria

«SGV-Plus» (TFM Plus)

This subsidy programme helps rail transport companies to carry goods by rail that would otherwise have to be transported largely by road, by lorry. SGV-Plus consists of support for rail freight services and a subsidy for the infrastructure usage charge.

Subsidies for connections and terminals

The state helps companies to transport their goods sustainably by rail through measures such as these:

  • Construction, extension and reactivation of sidings and terminals
  • Investment in existing sidings
  • Investments in existing mobile transhipment equipment in the terminal area

Approx. 90 million euros

 

 

 

 

13 million euros per year

2023-2027

 

 

 

 

From 2023 onwards
Switzerland

Improving the framework conditions for freight transport in Switzerland

The Federal Council is planning subsidy programmes with the following benefits:

  • Financial compensation for TWCI providers
  • Initial funding for the launch of the DAC
  • Financial support for transhipment equipment and infrastructure services on the Rhine.
  • Reduce the price of rail freight

CHF 600 million, i.e.

CHF 150 million per year

 2024-2027
 
Limited relevance of the comparison

The subsidies mentioned in the table above are expressed in absolute figures. This makes them difficult to compare, in the absence of a reference amount. For example, SNCF (France) achieves several times the number of tonne-kilometres travelled by SBB, but receives considerably less money in comparison. Unlike the countries of the European Union, in Switzerland the total amount of subsidies also includes the migration to DAC. It is precisely because most countries have numerous sources of funding at their disposal at the same time that it is extremely difficult to compare subsidies in a meaningful way.

Conflict of interest between climate protection and competition

Governments mainly use their subsidies to encourage the transfer of traffic to sustainable modes of transport. The ultimate objective entails the risk of distorting the competitiveness of rail freight. If rail freight is to remain viable not only ecologically, but also economically, those responsible must aim for an autonomous, market-oriented rail freight system that integrates all rail freight companies without discrimination on the basis of intramodal competition, and is a reliable partner for shippers. Switzerland has set itself the goal of self-financing, and is well on the way to achieving it.

Guaranteeing non-discrimination

Wherever public and private players in the market come together, the accusation of discrimination quickly arises. A classic example is last-mile subsidies. This is the subject of heated debate both internationally and in Switzerland (see RailBusiness no. 6 and 7/2023). In our blog article entitled «Outsourcing the last mile and making it non-discriminatory», we outline the form that a non-discriminatory last mile could take in Switzerland. We recommend that management of the system should no longer be entrusted to a single major operator - as is currently the case with SBB Cargo - and propose that instead, the first and last kilometre services should be provided by a single service provider. Ideally, this would be the infrastructure operator, which, apart from this, does not provide any transport services. In our blog article entitled «Subsidising wagonload traffic: preventing distortion of competition and discrimination», you will find a more detailed explanation of why non-discrimination is paramount when it comes to State aid.

In Germany, the Verband deutscher Verkehrsunternehmen (VDV) and Die Güterbahnen (The Freight Railways) are calling for non-discriminatory subsidies for service routes between the customer's loading point and the last functional train consist. Appropriate regulations will ensure that the subsidy reaches particularly underserved and unprofitable regions, as well as new traffic, in order to attract rail transport to these areas as well.

Financial support for innovation

In our view, state funding should be a transitional measure designed to last until the players manage to finance themselves. This approach is particularly important for innovations such as the migration to DAC and the associated digitalisation of rail freight. Wagon owners cannot benefit directly from DAC, but have to make huge investments in re-equipping their rolling stock. To find out why we are in favour of up-front funding for the DAC, which paves the way for a new era of rail, rather than the ongoing subsidisation of an obsolete system, read our blog post entitled «Innovation in rail transport: DAC as a pioneer».

Rethinking the rail system

If the benefits of digitalisation are to be realised in rail freight transport, we need more than the DAC. What is needed is a fundamental transformation and optimisation of cross-system processes. Only in this way will market players be able to increase productivity, reduce costs and systematically adopt a customer focus in order to remain competitive by rail. This requires a new holistic approach to the entire rail system. This goes far beyond the (initial) financing of the TWCI or DAC. It concerns all the processes, incentive instruments, market mechanisms and interfaces of multimodal freight logistics in Switzerland.

Creating transparency through monitoring

If public funds are to be used in a targeted way, the objectives to be achieved with this support must be clearly defined. As is customary in the private sector, this means checking against measurable parameters, such as «how many DACs will be implemented by 2025 for how much money», «how many tracks have been built» or «how many lorry loads have been put on rail». The measurability of a success rate enables the players involved to adapt their strategy accordingly.

Preventing abuses of EU state aid guidelines

In 2020, Deutsche Bahn was accused of massive market distortion, as it was to receive a €5 billion increase in equity from the state as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. At the beginning of 2023, the European Commission launched an investigation into possible illegal state aid of between ten and twenty billion euros paid to the Freight sector of the state-owned railway company SNCF. These recent examples show that public aid always carries a risk of abuse. It is all the more important for governments to create the same conditions of competition for all and, if necessary, to refine the legal framework a posteriori.[1]

Refining the guidelines a posteriori

The European guidelines for the rail sector are an example of such a review. The European Commission has proposed revising them in order to shift traffic to more sustainable and less polluting solutions while maintaining a level playing field within the European Union. The consultation of Member States on the promotion of transparent and non-discriminatory programmes, the limitation of individual aid to exceptional cases and the modification of the aid ceiling ended on 16 March 2022. The majority of respondents favoured the promotion of programmes offering equal opportunities to all companies and the granting of individual aid only in exceptional cases. The European Commission plans to approve the revision of the State aid guidelines applicable to the rail transport sector in the 4th quarter of 2023.

[1]  See article published in DVZ on 30.05.2023 (in German)

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30.06.2023 | Financing Member Operations , ,

by | Jun 30, 2023 | Financing, Member, Operations

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Data ecosystems: Sharing data to double its added value

Data ecosystems: Sharing data to double its added value

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We at the VAP have been working more intensively on the topic of data ecosystems for some time. In 2022, we initiated the development of a data platform at the Coordination Unit for Sustainable Mobility (KOMO) and are pushing ahead with the further development of the Mobility Data Infrastructure (MODI). With this blog post, we would like to continue the dialogue and show why data ecosystems should be part of the vision of all freight railway actors.

Here's why:

  • Complexity sets the bar high
  • Small steps to the big vision
  • Exploiting the inexhaustible potential of data
  • We should stay in the conversation

 

Complexity sets the bar high

Data ecosystems are highly complex and encompass diverse subject areas (see Figure 1). If they are to be made usable and economically viable, we must take into account all the wishes and needs of the actors as well as any restrictions.

[caption id="attachment_14823" align="alignnone" width="800"] Figure 1: The vision of digital and operational interconnectivity covers highly challenging topics[/caption]

On the occasion of our Freight 2023 Forum, Dr Matthias Prandtstetter, Senior Scientist and Thematic Coordinator at the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology AIT, and Monika Zosso Lundsgaard-Hansen, Co-Section Head Directorate Operations at the BAV, provided insights on the current status of initiatives and considerations. The experts agree: progress in the rail sector will be a long and difficult affair.

In small steps to the big vision

The target image of an intelligent and possibly self-deciding data ecosystem could be realised through the following development phases as examples (not exhaustive):

1. provide basic data (e.g. with MODI)

  • Guaranteed quality
  • "Uniqueness" of the data set (i.e. clear definitions)
  • Accessibility/transparency for all those involved
  • Market-based development of apps and extended functionalities possible

2. activate hub for exchange of data (e.g. DX Intermodal by Hupac)

  • Exchange between 2 or more companies operating on the hub
  • Additional data sets (with or without restrictions for individual actors/companies)
  • Booking possibilities for individual or entire relations

3. create data ecosystem

  • Ensure access to historical data for initial analysis possibilities
  • Connect databases (basic data and/or data sets available with restrictions)

4. use blockchain technology

  • Data and data sets are optimally networked
  • Absolute cost and price transparency
  • Increased security in data exchange
  • More efficient overall development and processing

5. realise the vision of a physical internet

  • Open global system based on physical, digital and operational interconnectivity
  • Applies protocols, interfaces and modularisation
  • Certain decisions are made by the ecosystem - not by individual players

Currently, the rail sector is in phase 1 and 2, even if only selectively. With the Federal Act on Mobility Data Infrastructure (MODIG), the FOT is addressing all relevant topics. DX Intermodal is already operational in combined transport (CT) and takes up points from phase 2. An overall benefit for rail freight logistics can only be achieved if all forms of freight transport production and the entire transport chain ("door-to-door") are taken into account. To this end, elements of artificial intelligence must be integrated.

Exploiting the inexhaustible potential of data

Big Data has transformed from hype to megatrend; the potential of collected data is almost infinite. This enables disruptive, innovative, digital business models and better predictions for correct business decisions. However, this only applies to data that is available in the right quality and granularity. In addition, the actors must be able to extract the right information and thus the desired knowledge from the data and to interpret and use it correctly. This poses a number of challenges for the ecosystem partners:

System benefit vs. self-benefit

Some companies already have in-house data systems. They collect data from devices on locomotives and wagons and use it for optimisation or pass it on to third parties. This gives them a competitive advantage and additional sources of revenue. Why should such companies participate in data ecosystems? Because optimising their own system does not necessarily serve the system as a whole or the end customer. If, for example, various individual players sell the same data to third parties for a fee, the system becomes more expensive because money flows for each data transfer. In addition, individual actors can combine their data sets within the framework of a data ecosystem and thus promote the efficiency of the entire system, for example the estimated time of departure or arrival. In this context, questions of data sovereignty need to be clarified.

Obligation vs. voluntariness

The state is and remains the biggest financial backer of the rail system. It should have an interest in relieving its own coffers and thus the taxpayers. The provision of non-profit data can improve efficiency. Again, questions remain: Should ecosystem partners be obliged to provide datasets? Should it be possible in a data ecosystem to offset previous, individual investments or to contrast subsidies received? Or should participation in a data ecosystem remain voluntary, with the risk that too few participants feed the platform with data?

Data vs. data

Not every data element is equal for a data ecosystem. Thus, it must be clearly defined from the beginning with which goal and overall benefit an actor should deposit its data elements on a data platform. In addition, a distinction must be made between operational, technical and commercial data in order to avoid emotional discussions. Finally, the quality ensured by the data owner or a newly created quality body determines the credibility and sustainability of a data ecosystem.

We should stay in the conversation

We at the VAP want to make the potential of data ecosystems available to the entire rail sector and increase its competitiveness. That is why we are committed to various initiatives, research projects and established products in this context, namely the following:

  • Further development of the mobility data infrastructure MODI, together with the BAV.
  • Common European Mobility Data Space (EMDS), an EU initiative
  • Logistics Working Group (AKL), in which we have taken over the leadership

 

If you too would like to help shape the digital future of the rail sector, Jürgen Maier looks forward to hearing from you.

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28.06.2023 | Freight Transport Industry Innovation Politics , , , ,

by | Jun 28, 2023 | Freight Transport Industry, Innovation, Politics

We at the VAP have been working more inten­si­ve­ly on the topic of data eco­sys­tems for some time. In 2022, we initia­ted the deve­lo­p­ment of a data plat­form at the Coor­di­na­ti­on Unit for Sus­tainable Mobi­li­ty (KOMO) and are pushing ahead with the fur­ther...
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Keepers’ Summit 2023: Adapting to customer requirements and a visionary future for rail freight transport

Keepers’ Summit 2023: Adapting to customer requirements and a visionary future for rail freight transport

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What it's all about:

  • UIP Keepers' Summit in Nice
  • Customer focus and transformation for rail freight in Europe
  • David Zindo new President of the UIP

 

The International Union of Wagon Keepers (UIP) in collaboration with its French member association AFWP welcomed 120 freight rail stakeholders from across Europe to its annual flagship conference, the Keepers' Summit, in Nice, France on 15 June 2023. Discussions focused on how environmentally friendly features of rail freight can be used to address climate change while appealing to customers and attracting young talent. The panelists and the audience agreed: rail freight has an important role to play in the future of our society. However, this can only be achieved if rail freight operations transform away from state monopolies towards private sector competition.

In search of change, former UIP President Dr Heiko Fischer challenged the audience to look to the past to better prepare for the future. As the driving force behind the creation of the General Contract of Use (GCU), Mr Fischer pointed to the important role of private wagon keepers in developing rail freight solutions. As a convinced and visionary man, he always placed great emphasis on the need to innovate and transform rail freight to meet the future challenges and expectations of customers and society. The audience acknowledged with standing applause the commitment and achievements of Dr Fischer, who had guided the destiny of UIP as President for 11 years.

Mr Joris D'Inca, Global Head of Logistics at the international management consulting firm Oliver Wyman, confirmed in his keynote speech the need for rail freight to adapt to evolving customer requirements: «Customers expect complete transparency along the transport chain. They place the greatest value on the availability of real-time information and effective corridor management, among other things. Only by adapting to these and other requirements will rail freight be able to gain market share from road freight and play a greater role in combating climate change.» Presentation Joris D'Incà

The expert panel, moderated by Ms Emilie Soulez and composed of Mr Charles Puech d'Alissac (VIIA/Naviland), Mr Paul Mazataud (SNCF Réseau) and Mr Stéphane Gavard (Streem), dove deep into the elements at the heart of the transformation needed to meet the new expectations. Mr Mazataud confirmed SNCF Réseau's needs and intentions to offer more transparency in maintenance operations, but also RNE's plans to increase flexibility by adapting the timetabling process. Mr Puech D'Alissac highlighted the elements and benefits of combined transport and the business model behind the activities of Naviland and VIIA. He pointed out the progress made in digitising the interface with customers and encouraged all stakeholders to redouble their efforts in digitising the interfaces between rail freight actors. Mr Gavard provided insights into wagon innovation both in terms of concept and industrial manufacturing, but also explained Streem's project to develop skills and knowledge in the industry.

Finally, Mr David Zindo, CEO of Streem Group and newly elected UIP President, concluded with a promise: to support the transformation with clear priorities while allowing freight wagon keepers and associations to benefit from the success of the past in order to increase the attractiveness and competitiveness of rail freight. He stressed the importance of the work of UIP and the national federations, which act as consolidated voices and link to local and European political institutions.

«Our societies need to understand the unique selling proposition of rail freight as a crucial means to decarbonise the transport sector. We as a system need to improve our offer to meet the needs of customers, but also to attract and train young talent.» - David Zindo

David Zindo becomes new UIP President: A vision for the future of rail freight transport

David Zindo will be the new President of UIP, succeeding Dr Heiko Fischer, who led UIP as President for 11 years. Zindo was elected during UIP's General Assembly on 15 June 2023 in Nice, France. He is supported by Vice Presidents Per-Anders Benthin (CEO of Transwaggon) and Johann Feindert (CEO of GATX Rail Europe).

Mr Zindo brings extensive experience to the position, being CEO of Streem Group (formerly Ermewa Group) and a member of the UIP Executive Board since 2015. He previously held senior finance positions at SNCF, Geodis and Veolia Environmental Services.

As the new UIP President, David Zindo's vision is to further strengthen UIP by setting clear priorities, strengthening the team and building alliances with other associations. He wants to strengthen the role of freight wagon keepers in the supply chain and explain the complex EU regulatory landscape. With his long experience and commitment to rail freight, Mr Zindo aims to transform the sector to meet future challenges and the expectations of customers and society.

Read more about the newly elected President's vision in UIP's interview with David Zindo. 
Interview David Zindo

 

  •  

    The International Union of Wagon Keepers (UIP) was founded in 1950 and has its headquarters in Brussels. It is the umbrella organisation of national associations from 14 European countries, representing more than 250 wagon keepers and Entities in Charge of Maintenance (ECMs). The fourteen member countries are: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. As the voice for more than 234,000 freight wagons, UIP represents half of the total European freight wagon fleet and is one of the most important resources for the freight rail sector in Europe. Research, lobbying and constant exchange with all stakeholders and organisations interested in the rail freight sector play an important role for the association to direct all efforts towards increasing efficiency in the rail freight service. Through participation in many working groups and committees at European and international level, UIP brings the perspective and interests of freight wagon keepers and works in cooperation with all interested parties to secure the long-term future of rail freight. UIP is recognised by the European Commission as a representative body in the rail sector.

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27.06.2023 | Events Freight Transport Industry Innovation , ,

by | Jun 27, 2023 | Events, Freight Transport Industry, Innovation

What it’s all about: UIP Kee­pers’ Sum­mit in Nice Cus­to­mer focus and trans­for­ma­ti­on for rail freight in Europe David Zindo new Pre­si­dent of the UIP   The Inter­na­tio­nal Union of Wagon Kee­pers (UIP) in col­la­bo­ra­ti­on with its French...
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Titus Büter from Swiss Post wants fast and punctual freight trains

Titus Büter from Swiss Post wants fast and punctual freight trains

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Titus Bütler is Head of Transport at Post CH AG and has been responsible for all letter, parcel and newspaper transport by rail and road in Switzerland since the beginning of 2022. Previously, he managed the Frauenfeld parcel center for over 20 years, where up to half a million parcels are processed daily. He also designed the network expansion with the new parcel centers in Cadenazzo, Vétroz, Untervaz and Ostermundigen. In an interview with VAP, he explains the importance of rail transport for Swiss Post.

Here's what it's all about:

  • How high is the share of rail in the modal split at Swiss Post?
  • Customer demand for fast delivery is increasing
  • "Pain points", or optimization potential in rail freight transport
  • Swiss Post is the European leader in the transport of goods by rail

 

VAP: Mr. Bütler, Swiss Post's yellow trains are striking. More and more, yellow trucks can also be seen on the roads. Is this impression deceptive?

Titus Bütler: Our trucks with the yellow containers do attract attention. Our customers are increasingly demanding fast delivery: picked up in the evening and delivered the next morning. So we're not talking about 24-hour delivery, but about 15 to 20 hours - and that to any place in Switzerland, whether urban or rural. So we are under time pressure throughout the supply chain. This makes it difficult to bundle parcel volumes to fill entire trains. We choose to go by rail wherever it makes ecological and economic sense. Around 50 percent of all letters and parcels already make at least part of their journey by train. A short train with one or two wagons makes no sense - not even ecologically.

What is stopping Swiss Post from using rail for the transports we see on the road?

We are working with our transport partner SBB-Cargo to shift more parcel shipments back onto rail. We need fast and regular express routes. The average speed of some postal trains is below 50km/h, even though we have fast rolling stock and run light trains. That is too slow.

How do you see the future of postal logistics, will there be more by rail or by road?

We clearly want to bring more volume onto the railways, especially on the west-east axis.

Swiss Post's newly planned centers do not have rail connections. Why?

In recent years, we have put several small parcel centers into operation. Terminals require land, make the project more expensive and delay realization. Planning and construction were carried out under time pressure: in some cases, less than 2 years passed between the decision on the location and the opening. Where possible, however, we use terminals in the vicinity, e.g. in the case of Cadenazzo, the SBB terminal. Parcels to and from southern Switzerland travel by rail.

Parcels and letters are not considered so-called "rail-affine" goods. What competencies do you have as Swiss Post, as a shipper, to ensure that these goods are nevertheless transported by rail?

We are the only postal service in Europe that transports such goods by rail on a large scale. The prerequisite is that the inclusion of rail is already taken into account in the design and - even more important - that there is an infrastructure that allows fast freight trains with high punctuality at all. We have experts in our team who are very familiar with rail freight transport.

Swiss Post has the same owner as SBB Cargo. Is this more of an opportunity/simplification for you? How would you describe this relationship?

The transports were put out to public tender. The ownership does not play a role. We have a clear customer-supplier relationship, just like other transport companies. Our requirements in terms of punctuality and reliability are very high and we are very satisfied with the services provided by SBB Cargo.

If the fairy godmother were to grant you one logistical wish, what would it be?

I would wish for regular and fast train paths on the west-east axis.

How would you describe the VAP?

We are one of the largest siding owners and one of the largest rail shippers in Switzerland. The VAP represents their legitimate interests at various levels and networks the players among themselves.

What strengths do you attribute to the VAP?

The VAP is indispensable for the political work of all players in rail freight transport.

To whom would you recommend cooperation with the VAP?

Every company that owns tracks or wagons or is active in rail freight transport - whether as a customer or as an RU - benefits from the VAP.

What has not been said yet:

Our mail trains are important to us. We use them to connect Switzerland quickly, reliably and ecologically. That is why it is important to us that the image of slow and often spray-painted freight trains does not rub off on our mail trains.

 

Mr. Bütler, thank you for the interview and the interesting insights.
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23.06.2023 | Sites Sustainability , , ,

by | Jun 23, 2023 | Sites, Sustainability

Titus Büt­ler is Head of Trans­port at Post CH AG and has been respon­si­ble for all let­ter, par­cel and news­pa­per trans­port by rail and road in Switz­er­land since the begin­ning of 2022. Pre­vious­ly, he mana­ged the Frau­en­feld par­cel cen­ter for over 20...
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Transport policy decisions of the summer session 2023

Transport policy decisions of the summer session 2023

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In the summer session from 30 May to 16 June 2023, various sector-relevant business was discussed. The results are largely in line with our expectations. However, we regret the missed opportunity to link the proposal for the agglomeration programme with the expansion of the national road network in order to further develop projects and transport modes as an overall system.

That's what it's all about:

  • More financial means for the rolling road (Rola), we demand quality control.
  • Yes to simplified approval of rolling stock for international rail traffic
  • Yes to modernisation and expansion of the Swiss national road network
  • Yes to the Agglomeration Transport Programme - regrettably without a link to the expansion of the national road network
  • Interpellation on the renationalisation of SBB Cargo

 

Accompanied combined transport (Rolling Road, Rola):

On 1.6.2023, the Council of States dealt with the Federal Council's dispatch of 30 September 2022 on the amendment of the Freight Traffic Transfer Act and on a federal resolution on a payment framework for the promotion of accompanied combined transport (Federal Council business 22.064). Following the National Council, the Council of States has now also decided to support the "Rolling Highway" (Rola) until the end of 2028 instead of only until 2026 as proposed by the Federal Council. The Confederation can provide a total of CHF 106 million for this support between 2024 and 2028.

With regard to the 2023 modal shift report, the VAP recalls its still outstanding demands:

  • Technology-neutral promotion of transports, especially in selected regions with volume potential.
  • Quality control also for conventional transports

We consider the one-sided promotion and quality control only in UCT as a missed opportunity. The potential of conventional transport should also be fully exploited - with appropriate application of the modal shift measures, i.e. financial support and quality control.

Amendment of the Railway Act within the framework of the 4th EU Railway Package:

On 13.6.23, the Council of States approved bill 23.024, according to which the European Railway Agency (ERA) is to be responsible for the approval of rolling stock in international rail traffic. Railway companies should no longer have to go through separate approval procedures when introducing new trains in several countries. The Federal Council is now seeking the permanent adoption of this EU solution, which will require an amendment to the overland transport agreement with the EU. The business will now be submitted to the National Council. The VAP supported this draft amendment (see blog article: Revision of the railways act guarantees access to the EU railway network), as it allows for further steps towards harmonisation of regulations in railway operations and facilitates the adoption of this package in the land transport agreement.

Payment framework for national roads 2024-2027 and expansion step 2023:

The Federal Council is planning to modernise and expand the Swiss national roads network with a budget of around CHF 12 billion. Of this, around CHF 8 billion is earmarked for operation and maintenance, while CHF 4 billion is to be allocated to special expansion projects. We at the VAP support this bill and emphasise the importance of a sustainable transport infrastructure for multimodality and modal shift. On 30.5.2023, the National Council decided to allocate as much as CHF 5.3 billion to expansion projects instead of the CHF 4.4 billion requested by the Federal Council. In addition to the five projects included in the federal decree, the National Council considers the extension of the A1 on Lake Geneva to be equally urgent. The Council of States will vote on the bill next.

Commitment credits for agglomeration transport from 2024:

The National Council approved contributions of over CHF 1.6 billion for the new agglomeration transport programmes. A slight increase was made for the Moscia-Acapulco road tunnel in Ticino. We support this federal decision, which is intended to promote transport infrastructure projects in Switzerland's conurbations in order to create a more efficient and sustainable transport system.

Regrettably, however, NR Wasserfallen's minority motion was rejected. This called for the bill on the proposal for the agglomeration programme with the expansion of the national road network in order to consider projects and transport modes as an overall system. This should prevent projects and modes of transport from being played off against each other. We consider this a missed opportunity. In the event of a referendum, we will oppose it, in the interest of the country's security of supply.

See also our commentary on LinkedIn: Billions approved for agglomeration transport programmes: National Council misses chance for holistic transport system

SBB Cargo back in the lap of the state: What's the point?

With his interpellation «SBB Cargo zurück im Schoss des Staates. Was soll das?» (SBB Cargo back in the lap of the state. What's the point?), NR Christian Wasserfallen FDP/BE is asking the Federal Council for an assessment of the SBB Group's decision to take over 100% of the share capital of SBB Cargo and to place SBB Cargo directly under the management of the Group. This unilateral change in the market and power structure is detrimental to the portents of the pending reform of the framework conditions for Swiss freight transport. The VAP welcomes the questions put to the Federal Council.

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22.06.2023 | Financing Freight Transport Industry Politics , , ,

by | Jun 22, 2023 | Financing, Freight Transport Industry, Politics

In the sum­mer ses­si­on from 30 May to 16 June 2023, various sec­tor-rele­vant busi­ness was dis­cus­sed. The results are lar­ge­ly in line with our expec­ta­ti­ons. Howe­ver, we reg­ret the missed oppor­tu­ni­ty to link the pro­po­sal for the agglo­me­ra­ti­on...
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