On 6 December 2022, the Council of States adopted two motions in the second instance. They are important for modal shift in transit, but also concern the Basel-North ports route, which is central for import and export traffic. We at the VAP support both motions and encourage the extension of state support to conventional rail freight transport.
This is what it’s all about:
- Council of States adopts two motions in favour of the freight corridor through Switzerland
- We at the VAP support the contents of the motions – and set priorities
- Because conventional rail freight transports are currently still being excluded
Promotion of the freight corridor through Switzerland
With the motion 22.3013 «Strengthening the attractiveness and competitiveness of the freight corridor through Switzerland», the Federal Council is to specifically extend the support measures in transit to certain regions and groups of goods. We at the VAP support this motion. However, it excludes conventional rail freight transport and its untapped potential. This deficiency should be corrected as soon as possible.
Article 8 of the Freight Traffic Shift Act (in german) allows the promotion of all – i.e. transalpine – freight traffic in transit. Accordingly, the Federal Council should be instructed to promote all freight traffic and to provide the promotion instruments consisting of financial support, quality monitoring and the expansion of access routes for conventional traffic as well. For these, too, the targeted extension of support measures to certain regions and freight groups makes sense. By sticking to the dogma of «combined transport», Switzerland is missing out on interesting opportunities for an additional shift from road to rail.
The Federal Council should design the support instruments in a technology-neutral way and extend them to all freight transport in transit, regardless of the type of production.
Expansion of the Wörth-Strasbourg Neat feeder road on the left bank of the Rhine
Motion 22.3000 «Continuation of the successful modal shift policy and guarantee of supply security thanks to expansion of the Wörth-Strasbourg corridor on the left bank of the Rhine» calls on the Federal Council to take care of the electrification and upgrading of the affected section of the line to NEAT standards. It is considering the possibility of funding from Switzerland.
We in the VAP support this motion, as we did with motion 20.3003 «State treaty for a Neat access route on the left bank of the Rhine». An efficient routing of the flat railway in the northern approach to the NRLA is urgently needed in terms of supply security, alternative capacity for construction phases, punctuality and quality. Electrification and the introduction of the NRLA standard on the affected section of track, together with the simultaneous expansion of the Kannenfeld and Schützenmatt tunnels to 4 metres, will allow an initial substantial increase in capacity on the northern approach to the NRLA.
Click here for the SDA news item of 6 December 2022 (in german)
