Foreign railroads should be allowed to offer trains to Switzerland
Published: Monday, Apr 22nd 2024, 10:20
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As part of the talks on future relations between Switzerland and the European Union (EU), an update of the existing overland transport agreement is being negotiated. The EU is demanding that Switzerland partially liberalize international rail traffic. Switzerland, for its part, wants to secure exemptions for road and rail traffic.
Both passenger and freight transport are affected by the land transport agreement. Among other things, the updated agreement is intended to regulate the dynamic adoption of rights as well as dispute resolution mechanisms.
Due to the unresolved institutional issues, the EU does not currently admit Switzerland as an equal member of the European Railway Agency (ERA), writes the Federal Council in a fact sheet. Switzerland is therefore dependent on transitional solutions. Without these, the approval of rolling stock for cross-border traffic would be considerably more difficult and expensive.
Foreign rail companies would now be given the opportunity to offer international connections to Switzerland. In doing so, they would have to adhere to certain social standards, the Federal Council demands. Switzerland should also retain sovereignty over the allocation of train paths.
Conversely, Swiss railroads should also be allowed to offer trains abroad. At present, such connections are only possible in cooperation with a foreign railroad company.
Both partners state in their mandates that purely domestic rail traffic is not affected by the negotiations. The Swiss mandate also states that national traffic should not be affected by the agreement.
The interval timetable, fare integration and the modal shift from road to rail would be guaranteed. The term tariff integration means that prices in public transport are regulated in tariff networks and there is no price competition between transport companies.
Federal Council does not want gigaliners
In the area of road traffic, the Federal Council would like to retain certain regulations. For example, road capacity for crossing the Alps may not be expanded. This means that the second Gotthard road tunnel, which is currently under construction, could not be used to expand lanes.
In addition, trucks weighing no more than 40 tons should continue to be permitted on Swiss roads. In the EU, the registration of vehicles weighing 60 tons - so-called gigaliners - is being discussed. Such vehicles are already permitted in countries such as Sweden and Finland.
The ban on trucks driving at night and on Sundays should also remain in place. Vehicles registered abroad would also only be allowed to offer cross-border transportation of passengers and goods and not those with origin and destination in Switzerland.
©Keystone/SDA
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