Tunnel key to reducing freight traffic

According to the Swiss Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications, the number of freight vehicles travelling by road through the Alps in 2010 increased by 77,000 to 1.257 million, matching the levels of 2007 and 2008.
February 22, 2012 Read time: 1 min
The Swiss want to reduce the number of road freight vehicles travelling through the Alps after the Gotthard Base Tunnel opens in 2019. Seen late last year is the breakthrough in the eastern tube of the twin tube 57km long tunnel. (Pic: Herrenknecht)
According to the 2970 Swiss Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications, the number of freight vehicles travelling by road through the Alps in 2010 increased by 77,000 to 1.257 million, matching the levels of 2007 and 2008.
The goal by the end of 2011 is to reduce this number to a maximum of 1 million and to 650,000 in 2019 following the opening of the Gotthard Base Tunnel.
According to law if these levels are not achieved the 2972 Swiss Federal Council will have to submit additional measures to achieve it. The Federal Council is to submit alternative proposals later in 2011.
In 2010 more goods were also transported across the Alps by rail, with 62.7% of all freight being transported through the Alps by train, compared to 60.9% in 2009.
Road Structures

Related Content

  • Switzerland to more than double road tax to tackle congestion
    March 16, 2012
    The cost of the Swiss road tax vignette will more than double to US$106.50 per year from just over $40 at present. With the extra money raised, the Swiss Federal Council wants to tackle congestion on the roads throughout the country and also extend the road network.
    Read More
  • 1.51 million trucks a year will pass the Alps by 2030, says Swiss OFT survey
    April 12, 2013
    The number of trucks passing the Alps will rise to 1.51 million a year by 2030, compared to 1.2 million in 2012, according to a survey carried out by the research institute INFRAS on behalf of the Swiss transport office OFT. In 1994 the aim was to reduce the truck passing figure to 650,000 by 2018, but in 2011 this was said to be too ambitious. INFRAS suggests that container traffic over the Alps will grow by 50% to 1.3 million units by 2030. While truck transport will increase, the planned transfer of good
    Read More
  • Europe’s traffic pollution problem causes concern
    December 3, 2012
    The latest data available suggests that traffic pollution is still harmful to health in many parts of Europe. Transport in Europe is responsible for damaging levels of air pollutants and a quarter of EU greenhouse gas emissions. Many of the resulting environmental problems can be addressed by stepping up efforts to meet new EU targets, according to the latest report from the European Environment Agency (EEA). The EEA’s annual report under the Transport and Environment Reporting Mechanism (TERM) assesses the
    Read More
  • Improving safety for Europe’s roads revealed by latest data
    May 24, 2013
    A wide variety of road safety measures are being implemented across Europe, and with generally beneficial effects. According to the latest data from the European Commission, road fatalities across the EU dropped 9% for 2012 compared with the previous year. In fact 2012 also saw the lowest numbers of people being killed in road traffic crashes in EU countries since data first began being collated. But country by country statistics show that the number of road deaths still varies greatly across the EU.
    Read More

Highlighted Content