Rail 2050, border cantons push for acceleration

Post on: 20.05.2025

The five Swiss border cantons – Ticino, Geneva, Valais, Basel-Stadt and Basel-Landschaft – have submitted a joint resolution to the Federal Council, calling for swift and concrete action to expand cross-border rail transport. The initiative is part of the national strategy RAIL 2050, which aims to shift significant shares of traffic from road to rail, particularly in short and medium-distance international connections.

The goal is clear: to make the Swiss railway system more efficient, sustainable and integrated at European level, especially in border areas where demand is constantly growing.

A joint appeal for a more connected Switzerland

The five cantons underline the national importance of the railway issue and call on the Confederation to:

• Expand the regional railway offer in border areas, to improve cross-border inter-agglomeration connections.
• Strengthen freight terminals and rail axes, in particular in the regions of Basel, Geneva, Valais and Ticino.
• Ensure stable and sustainable financing through the Railway Infrastructure Fund (FIF).
• Prioritise investments at the strategic railway junctions of Basel, Geneva, Valais and Ticino.

The voices of the regions

Claudio Zali, State Councillor of the Canton of Ticino, recalled that the region represents a nerve centre between the North and South of Europe: "Ticino must not become a bottleneck, but an efficient corridor for freight, long-distance and regional traffic. We need modern infrastructure and a solid connection with Milan and the Po Valley".

Isaac Reber (Basel-Landschaft) stressed that public transport is not keeping pace with the growth of the trinational region: "If we want to keep Basel strong, we need to invest immediately in frequency, connections and infrastructure".

Esther Keller (Basel-Stadt) recalled that Basel is the only railway junction Switzerland with direct connections to three countries and is crucial for the country's supply. Pierre Maudet (Geneva) said that "a city like Geneva, which is expanding rapidly, needs efficient and cross-border public transport, otherwise there is a risk of holding back sustainable development". Franz Ruppen (Valais) highlighted the canton's dependence on reliable rail connections for tourism as well.

Why act now

The cantons concerned represent strategic areas: every day, 210,000 people cross the border in the Lake Geneva area, 79,000 in Ticino and 77,000 in northwestern Switzerland. In addition, these regions mark the entrances to major European corridors, such as the Gotthard and Lötschberg, which are crucial for freight and passenger transport.

A modern and efficient railway infrastructure, with enhanced cross-border connections, is considered crucial to achieving climate goals and ensuring equitable accessibility throughout Switzerland. With this resolution, the border cantons are not only raising a local issue, but are also relaunching a central issue for the future of national mobility.

Rail 2050

Rail 2050 is the long-term strategy developed by the Federal Council to guide the development of rail transport in Switzerland until the middle of the century. This is not a single project, but an overall vision that aims to make the railway system more sustainable, widespread and modern. The aim is to meet the future needs of Swiss mobility, both for passenger and freight transport, while at the same time addressing environmental, demographic and economic challenges.

The plan aims to strengthen the attractiveness of rail compared to private cars, encouraging the transfer of traffic from road to rail, in particular on short and medium distances. In this context, cross-border connections, border areas and the main European corridors play a strategic role. With Rail 2050, the federal government wants to build a more resilient infrastructure that is better integrated with regional needs and can make a decisive contribution to the country's climate neutrality.