Hupac records significant decline in transport volume
Published: Tuesday, May 28th 2024, 12:10
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Combined transport provider Hupac recorded a significant decline in road consignments last year. This was caused by an economic slump in transport demand in Europe and capacity bottlenecks in the Gotthard Base Tunnel.
Last year, the Hupac Group transported around 975,000 road consignments in combined road/rail and seaport-hinterland transport, as the company announced on Tuesday. This corresponds to a decrease of around 130,000 consignments or 11.7 percent compared to the previous year. The core area of transalpine traffic through Switzerland recorded a comparatively moderate decline of 7.6 percent to 540,000 road consignments.
According to the press release, the negative development is primarily the result of a slump in demand for transportation in Europe. The recessionary trend had already begun in fall 2022 in connection with the war in Ukraine and the energy crisis. This was compounded by the serious accident in the Gotthard Base Tunnel in August 2023. The repair work will continue to restrict capacity until September 2024.
The threat of a shift back to the road
According to Hupac, combined transport is also threatened by other problems. "For several years now, we have been experiencing a negative spiral of a lack of availability of the rail network due to disruptions and construction work, while costs are rising at the same time," says Chairman of the Board of Directors Hans-Jörg Bertschi. The punctuality of trains on the north-south axis through Switzerland has fallen to 50 percent.
If the situation continues to deteriorate, there is a risk that freight traffic will be shifted back to the roads. Transport policy measures are needed to prevent this.
©Keystone/SDA
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