The closure of DB Cargo’s freight yard at Domo2 (except the DB Cargo Full Load Solutions offices, which remain open) not the only factor undermining the role and competitiveness of the Simplon international crossing. On the Swiss side of the Alps, the outlook is also one of downsizing rather than expansion. According to Walliser Bote, a German-language newspaper from the canton of Valais, SBB Cargo’s restructuring plan includes the closure of three depots, one of which is Brig, located just at the northern entrance to the cross-border Simplon tunnel. The reasons are primarily financial: in 2024, the freight division of the Swiss Federal Railways recorded losses exceeding 80 million euros.
If confirmed, this decision would mark another setback for the Simplon line, which is steadily losing traffic. Figures from the Federal Office of Transport confirm the decline. In Switzerland, total transport volumes fell by 0.9% in 2024, while rail freight dropped by 0.8%. The Simplon corridor, however, fared far worse, with a 7.7% contraction. Its market share has fallen from 50% to 30%, to the advantage of the Gotthard axis.
Several factors explain this contraction. Chief among them are the long service interruptions caused by ongoing upgrade works along this international corridor—not only between Domodossola and the tunnel entrance, but also on the Arona–Domodossola line. Here, major interventions are under way to adapt the infrastructure, particularly the tunnels, for the passage of intermodal trains without gauge restrictions.
Apart from the temporary setback following the serious accident in August 2023, when a freight train derailed inside the Gotthard base tunnel, the Gotthard route remains more competitive. It allows the transit of heavy freight trains without the need for double traction—a costly but practically unavoidable requirement on the Simplon.
The entire Simplon corridor is heavily affected by the ongoing upgrade works. In Switzerland, the refurbishment of the eastern bore of the international tunnel—almost 20 kilometres long—is scheduled between 2025 and 2028. Maintenance will target the vault, drainage channels and water systems. Work will proceed in stages without a full closure, but with only one tunnel bore in service, reducing capacity and affecting freight more than cross-border passenger traffic.
On the Italian side, the Swiss works coincide with summer closures between Domodossola and Milan. The interventions, launched in 2024 and continuing through 2025, involved phased shutdowns between June and September and ongoing hourly restrictions. These works are part of the second phase of tunnel upgrades to allow unrestricted intermodal traffic. During the closures, full track renewals were also carried out. The combined effect of Swiss and Italian projects means that, over several years, capacity along the Simplon corridor will be drastically reduced. Freight terminals such as Domo2 and Brig are paying the price.
Piermario Curti Sacchi
