From the roads to the rails

European transport policy faces a great challenge: it must control the constantly growing flow of goods in an efficient and environmentally friendly way. It is about preserving mobility and securing the supply of goods without traffic causing an excessive burden on humans and the environment.

The Swiss shift policy shows positive results: in transalpine transport through Switzerland two thirds of all freight traffic are already carried by rail. Since the reference year 2000, shipments in transalpine combined transport have increased by 68%, whilst shipments in road transport have fallen by 14%. The reduction of road shipments to 650,000 per year aimed for in the transport policy can, however, only be reached following commissioning of the Gotthard base tunnel.

In 2012 about 1.209.000 vehicles crossed the Swiss Alps on the roads, while 905,000 shipments were carried by intermodal transport. With a transalpine transport volume of 373,000 road consignments, Hupac plays an important role in the modal shift. In the years ahead, the company wishes to extend its strong position by exploiting the new infrastructures and thereby actively supporting the Swiss shifting policy under the premise of sustainability.