contents
The SBB should transport more. Federal Councilor Simonetta Sommaruga now also wants to provide financial support for freight transport.
It is true that in Switzerland the share of rail in both passenger and freight transport is high compared to other European countries. However, it has been more or less constant for years. That should change now. “If we look at climate policy, then rail transport is key,” explains Federal Councilor Simonetta Sommaruga. The former SBB boss Benedikt Weibel explains how the railways increased in importance again in the 80s – the reaction to the environmental damage caused by the excessive road traffic. But the share of roads in passenger transport is still much higher, namely around 75 percent. The current rail boss Vincent Ducrot on this:
«Today we are in a world where people want to be more environmentally friendly. The railway is predestined for this.”
Subsidies for SBB Cargo?
Freight transport is central. Transit across Switzerland is already at a fairly high level. Federal Councilor Sommaruga: “Here we are at the top worldwide, the surrounding countries envy us. We currently transport 74% of goods across the Alps by rail.» On the other hand, the figures for so-called inland freight transport, i.e. freight transport within Switzerland, are much lower. Here, the share of the road is disproportionately larger, namely almost 80 percent. Sommaruga: “We have noticed that small delivery vans are increasingly being used for transport. This leads to more traffic and congested highways.” So there is great potential here. But: SBB freight traffic has the requirement to be self-sufficient. So no subsidies.
For the new Bahn boss Vincent Ducrot, on the other hand, it is clear that such goals cannot be achieved without state support. “We need to digitize and automate more. It’s not possible without help in a business that doesn’t generate a margin.” Such a change marks a departure from decades-old policy:
I don’t want to anticipate anything, but it’s clear that it can’t just be self-financing and we don’t care about the rest. We have to solve this problem.
Expansion of passenger transport
But passenger transport is also to be expanded. The train is to become more competitive over distances that were previously often covered by plane. The SBB is therefore systematically expanding the range of night trains. Simonetta Sommaruga: “Climate protection means offering people an alternative. And if there are good train connections, then a lot of people will be willing to use the train in the future.” Former SBB boss Benedikt Weibel: “Now the railway has become a hope for the future. That’s actually a bit bizarre, because the train is by far the oldest means of transport. We will soon be celebrating our 200th anniversary.”