RAIL MODAL SHARE THROUGH THE ALPS HIGHEST IN 25 YEARS
According to a recently published report on transalpine freight transport in H1 2021 by the Swiss Federal Office for Transport (FOT), the share of rail in Transalpine freight traffic has increased to a record high following the opening of the Ceneri base tunnel and the 4-meter corridor. In the first half of 2021, it accounted for 74.4% of the volumes through the Alps, the highest value for a quarter of a century. In total, 15.2% more goods were transported through the Alps than in the first half of 2020 and also more than in the first half of 2019.
The report concluded that rail freight has grown disproportionately, the main reason for this being the completion of the New Railway Link through the Alps, with the opening of the Ceneri base tunnel and the commissioning of the continuous 4-meter corridor. As a result, longer and heavier trains have been able to run increasingly on the Gotthard axis since the end of 2020. With the possibility of now also transporting semi-trailers with a corner height of 4 metres via the Gotthard axis, an additional segment could be gained for rail. The development was also favoured by the financial aid with which various European countries supported rail transport during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Simultaneously, 453.000 trucks drove through the Swiss Alps in the first half of the year, being 40.000 trips more than in the first half of 2020, which was shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic and the protective measures taken with it. Compared to the first half of 2019, however, truck trips continued to decline.