In 2024, Hupac transported 949,000 shipments in combined road-rail transport, a volume that remains essentially stable compared to the previous year. The Swiss operator is addressing infrastructure challenges through targeted investments and operational strategies aimed at strengthening the resilience of the European railway network. Specifically, in 2024, Hupac transported 26,000 fewer units than in 2023, marking a 2.6% decline.
Nevertheless, the company managed to keep transalpine traffic through Switzerland almost unchanged (-0.2%), despite restrictions imposed by the Gotthard Base Tunnel. The main critical points emerged on the transalpine corridors through France and Austria, affected by disruptions on the Modane route and infrastructure modifications in northeastern Italy. Regarding non-transalpine traffic, the markets of Western, Northeastern, and Southeastern Europe recorded a slight decline of 1.2%.
The performance of the railway infrastructure, particularly in Germany, remains another critical issue. The low reliability of an outdated network directly impacts transport efficiency. However, according to Hupac, the recent completion of the Riedbahn line renovation between Frankfurt and Mannheim demonstrates that targeted planning can make the railway network more functional for freight transport. The Swiss company believes that key elements such as sufficient capacity on alternative routes, extended electrification, and standardisation of train production parameters are essential to ensuring the competitiveness of combined transport.
To address these critical issues, Hupac has launched several strategic initiatives. In August 2024, during the closure of the Rhine Valley railway, it introduced a diesel shuttle through Alsace to maintain connectivity, ensuring the movement of twenty freight trains per day in each direction. The service, provided by FFS Cargo International and Captrain, minimised disruptions, proving the effectiveness of cross-border cooperation.
From early 2025, part of the transport between Belgium and Italy will be rerouted through France instead of Germany to mitigate the risk of irregularities and ensure greater reliability. Additionally, Hupac has strengthened operational measures by preparing reserve train compositions, employing additional drivers, and increasing weekend capacity to recover any delays accumulated during weekdays.
At the same time, Hupac is calling for greater commitment from infrastructure management bodies. The company suggests the construction of parking tracks along the north-south corridor passing through Switzerland, with strategic points in Basel, Karlsruhe, Offenburg, and Chiasso. According to CEO Michail Stahlhut, a diversion capacity of 80% is the bare minimum to prevent freight traffic from reverting to road transport. If additional costs prove significant, Hupac expects concessions from infrastructure managers, considering that the current performance crisis results from decades of insufficient investment.
Despite the challenges, Hupac confirms its development strategy in the combined transport sector. The company plans to open new terminals, including Piacenza and Barcelona in 2025, followed by the Milan Smistamento terminal in 2026. Digitalisation represents another key pillar for improving operational efficiency: Hupac is working with industry partners to standardise and enhance processes, reducing complexity and management costs.
Another crucial element for the future of intermodal transport is the management of cross-border corridors. Ninety per cent of combined transport freight trains cross at least one national border, highlighting the need for greater integration between European infrastructure policies. Hupac considers the collaboration between Switzerland and Belgium for the joint management of the North Sea-Rhine-Mediterranean corridor a step in the right direction but stresses that further improvements are needed in the planning and international coordination of infrastructure projects.
A concrete measure could be the expansion of the Antwerp-Metz-Basel corridor to a four-metre profile, a project already under discussion and which received support from the Swiss Parliament in 2023 for co-financing the expansion of the Vosges tunnels on the left bank of the Rhine. According to Hans-Jörg Bertschi, chairman of Hupac's board of directors, dialogue with institutions and operators will be crucial to ensuring the economic competitiveness of European rail freight transport.
