Despite somewhat unfavourable market conditions, Swiss logistics operator Hupac kept stable volumes in 2024. The company reported minor decreases in road consignment in road/rail combined transport, transalpine transport through Switzerland and non-transalpine traffic.
In total, Hupac handled 949,000 road consignments in road/rail combined transport, a decrease of 2.6 per cent. Concerning transalpine transport, the company’s figures remained stable (-0.2 per cent). Finally, for non-transalpine traffic, volumes declined by 1.2 per cent. “In addition to the cyclical decline in demand for transport, the problematic condition of the rail network is the main reason for the below-expectations development of traffic”, the company pointed out.
The diversion through France
One of the main reasons behind Hupac stable numbers was the introduction of a diesel shuttle service along non-electrified railways on the French side of the Rhine River during the renovation of the Rhine Valley railway in Germany. In cooperation with Captrain France and SBB, Hupac managed to divert 20 freight trains every day on the line between Offenburg and Wörth.
Having trains going through France rather than Germany might become a more common practice for the Swiss operator. “Since the beginning of 2025, we have been routing some of our Belgium-Italy traffic through France instead of Germany. This enables us to counter the risk of irregularities and increase the reliability of our transport operations,” said Hupac CEO Michail Stahlhut, who added that more diversion routes are planned.
Low starting bar
Despite managing to keep volumes stable in 2024, Hupac was starting from a relatively low threshold, as volumes in 2023 decreased on all fronts. The similarities in figures between 2023 and 2024 is also reflected by the fact that Hupac faced similar issues. Over the past couple of years, in fact, low quality of the railway network, especially in Germany, was a constant challenge for many operators in Europe.