Hupac’s volumes in general fell by 11.7 per cent, from 975,000 to 845,000 road consignments. In financial terms, this translated into a “consolidated result” of -6,2 million euros. Transalpine volumes, the largest market segment for the company, decreased by 7.6 per cent. For non-transalpine traffic, the drop was set at 14.9 per cent. “Maritime hinterland…
Category: Switzerland
Switzerland joins the club of countries increasing TACs
The Swiss Federal Office of Transport (FOT) said that Track Access Charges (TACs) in the country will increase by 2.1 per cent as of 1 January 2025. The figure chosen by the FOT was established to be as moderate as possible, taking into account the worries expressed by the sector. For the rail freight sector…
Swiss Council asks for public funds to invest in private rail freight facilities
The Swiss Federal Council is asking for 188,8 million euros (185 million francs) for investments in private rail freight facilities, such as terminals and sidings, between 2025 and 2028. Applicants would have to commit to finance at least 40 per cent of the project they want to subsidise with these funds. The money would come…
Germany, Austria and Switzerland ask for EU-wide DAC commitment
The governments of Germany, Austria and Switzerland said that their efforts in the context of deploying Digital Automatic Coupling (DAC) “are necessary, but not sufficient”. They are asking for the creation of an EU-wide funding mechanism, financial commitment from all Member States and strong foundations from the sector. Germany, Austria and Switzerland are thus asking…
DB completes six-track-bundle upgrade in Basel
The line between Basel and Karlsruhe is one of the main bottlenecks for rail freight along the Rhine-Alpine Corridor. Now, some improvements are expected as the track expansion at the Basel-Weil am Rhein was commissioned by Deutsche Bahn (DB) on 29 April 2024. In total, a bundle of six new tracks was built parallel to…
European rail a mixed bag: Polish PKP Cargo profits while others struggle
Rail freight operators in Europe are performing very differently. Big names such as DB Cargo and Lineas are in trouble, but in Poland, the annual figures were an invitation to uncork the champagne bottle. Despite the call for more sustainability in logistics and transport, freight transport by rail is not always an attractive modality for…
Switzerland to invest in CargoBeamer’s Domodossola terminal
The Swiss Federal Office of Transport (FOT) will invest 38,8 million francs (39.5 million euros) to build a transshipment facility in Domodossola, one of the most active rail freight hubs in Italy. The facility in Domodossola is currently managed by CargoBeamer, a German specialist in the transportation of non-cranable semi-trailers. The FOT said that the…
Switzerland asks ERA to update EU contract on the use of freight wagons
In the European Union, the use and maintenance of rail freight wagons is regulated by two directives, one from 2006 for their use and one from 2019 for their maintenance. The Swiss Federal Office of Transport (FOT) is asking the European Railway Agency (ERA) to make a clear statement for the revision of the oldest…