In 2024, freight transport across the Alps experienced a slowdown on the rail front, while road transport saw a marked increase. This is confirmed by the report published on 20 March 2025 by the Swiss Federal Office of Transport, which captures a critical phase for the logistics and infrastructure sector along the Alpine corridor. The number of lorry transits through Switzerland reached 960,000, an increase of 44,000 compared to the previous year. At the same time, the share of freight carried by rail fell from 72 per cent to 70.3 per cent. The main reason for this decline lies in the numerous rail works along the north–south corridor, which led to significant disruptions and forced many companies to shift goods flows from rail to road.
The most disruptive blockage was the summer closure of the Rhine Valley rail line between Karlsruhe and Basel, which was completely shut for three weeks. The absence of truly competitive alternatives worsened the situation, compelling operators to rely on longer and less efficient routes. In Italy, the prolonged closure of the Luino line and the Milan–Domodossola connection added further obstacles, highlighting a lack of international coordination in planning worksites, especially in cases of simultaneous and extended closures.
The combined effect of these interruptions had an immediate consequence: rail lost market share as it was unable to guarantee a level of service continuity comparable to that of road transport. On the motorway network, by contrast, 2024 saw generally smooth operations, with the exception of the partial closure of the A13 motorway in the Mesolcina region due to bad weather. This event led to heavy traffic being diverted from the San Bernardino to the Gotthard pass, though it did not significantly affect the overall fluidity of road transport.
The overall data point to a significant deviation from the political objectives set by the Confederation. The desired annual cap of 650,000 transits was exceeded by around 310,000, a gap that puts pressure on the freight modal shift strategy from road to rail, a cornerstone of Switzerland’s Alpine protection policy. Despite these critical issues, the Confederation continues to implement structural measures in favour of rail transport. In January 2025, Switzerland, together with Belgium, took over the presidency of the new North Sea–Rhine–Mediterranean rail corridor. One of the main goals is to strengthen international coordination in capacity management and infrastructure planning, with particular focus on offering effective and ready-to-use alternative routes in case of emergencies.
Another important step was taken in February 2025 with the signing of a declaration of intent between Federal Councillor Albert Rösti and French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot. The agreement aims to enhance the rail line on the left bank of the Rhine, a key route for access to the Alptransit system. The Federal Council intends to provide a detailed update on the state of the modal shift and on forthcoming initiatives in the report scheduled for autumn 2025, a crucial moment for assessing the effectiveness of the current measures and redefining, if necessary, long-term strategies.
