After a phase of relative stability and a rebound during the post-pandemic biennium, rail freight transport in Switzerland entered 2025 with a modest drop. According to figures released by Litra, the Public Transport Information Service, freight volumes in the first quarter fell below 2.9 billion tonne-kilometres, marking a 1.9% decrease compared to the same period in 2024.
While limited, this downturn disrupts the stabilising trend observed over the final quarters of 2024. The figure is notable as it represents the lowest level recorded in a first quarter since 2020, a year deeply affected by the disruptions caused by the pandemic. Nevertheless, demand for rail paths—the number of track kilometres requested for freight train movements—grew by 0.7% year on year, suggesting that the rail system remains in heavy use, even though the actual volume of goods transported has seen a slight decline.
A multi-year analysis of Switzerland’s rail freight trends, based on Litra’s published data, reveals an interesting picture. In 2019, the four quarters showed consistent performance, with values hovering steadily around 3 billion tonne-kilometres, confirming the reliability and efficiency of the system. In 2020, the trend was abruptly interrupted: the second quarter in particular experienced a sharp fall, dropping below the 2.7 billion mark, the lowest in the observed period. This was due to health restrictions, reduced trade activity, and the temporary shutdown of several industrial sectors triggered by the Covid pandemic.
Grafico: Litra
The year 2021 marked a strong rebound, with all quarters once again exceeding the 3 billion threshold and a particularly dynamic second quarter, which recorded the peak of the entire period. This momentum continued into 2022, with a general consolidation of volumes, albeit without reaching new highs. In 2023, growth began to show signs of slowing, culminating in a weaker fourth quarter and paving the way for a more uncertain 2024. That year’s third quarter dipped once again below 2.7 billion, taking the curve back to levels last seen four years earlier, while the remaining quarters hovered just under 3 billion, pointing to a degree of structural difficulty in regaining previous volumes.
The start of 2025 appears to confirm this trend, with the first quarter unable to reverse the course. This is not a sudden collapse, but rather the continuation of a gradual erosion in volumes, which could reflect broader economic conditions, a modal shift between rail and road freight, or a transformation in transalpine logistics flows. In this context, it is worth noting that cross-border traffic, according to other Litra data, continues to grow—a dynamic that could provide an alternative path to recover volumes and refocus the sector's strategic direction.
