Construction backlog at Deutsche Bahn means crisis mode for Switzerland
Published: Tuesday, Dec 19th 2023, 05:00
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Switzerland has prepared itself for two more years "in crisis mode" for rail traffic over the Rhine route from Germany. Peter Füglistaler, Director of the Federal Office of Transport, told the German news agency DPA.
When asked who had not done their homework when it came to expanding the rail freight corridor from Rotterdam on the North Sea to Genoa on the Mediterranean, Füglistaler said: "Germany".
Switzerland and Italy are far away. At least the important decisions in Germany have finally been made. "It is foreseeable that there will be several major construction sites and closures in 2024 and 2025. We will be in crisis mode." This applies to freight and passenger transport.
SBB relies on its own trains
In 1996, Switzerland and Germany agreed in an international treaty that, among other things, the German Karlsruhe-Basel line would be widened to four lanes. This should create more space for passenger and freight trains.
Frustration has spread in Switzerland due to the delays and hold-ups of cross-border passenger trains from Germany. Trains that are 10 to 15 minutes or more late are now abandoned at the border. SBB operates its own trains from Basel with punctual departures. Passengers from Germany then have to change to the next train there.
Promised reliability
"To save Germany's honor, however, I have to say that the existing corridor works reasonably well," said Füglistaler. The current volume of traffic could be managed, but only "with very poor quality".
Many freight trains were canceled due to operational inadequacies. "The strongest argument for rail freight transport is reliability." It is less about speed than clear promises about when goods will arrive where. "We can't keep this promise at the moment. We need to work massively on quality here too."
"Seid patient"
Füglistaler's message to Deutsche Bahn customers: "Don't give up hope," he said. "Stay with Deutsche Bahn, bear with it, it will get better. But it will take time. So be patient." His message to the German transport minister: "The future is simply the railroads. You need decisions and political will. And stamina."
A Deutsche Bahn spokeswoman admitted that other priorities had been set in rail transport policy for decades. "This has considerably delayed the expansion on the German side in direct comparison with neighboring countries." Citizen protests had also almost completely halted the expansion for years. However, a third of the 200-kilometre line between Karlsruhe and Basel is now in operation. "By 2035, Deutsche Bahn will have a continuous four-track line between Karlsruhe and Basel and by 2041, the line will be fully upgraded for speeds of up to 250 kilometers per hour."
©Keystone/SDA
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