Frustrated Swiss give advice to German rail passengers
In neighboring countries such as Austria and Switzerland, rail traffic usually runs smoothly. Trains from Germany, on the other hand, cause frustration. The Swiss see border traffic in "crisis mode" for the next few years too. One piece of advice to German rail passengers is unlikely to give them much hope.
Switzerland is preparing for two more years of "crisis mode" for rail traffic over the Rhine route from Germany. Peter Füglistaler, Director of the Swiss Federal Office of Transport, said. When asked who had not done their homework on the expansion of the rail freight corridor from Rotterdam on the North Sea to Genoa on the Mediterranean, Füglistaler said: "Germany".
Switzerland and Italy are a long way off. At least the important decisions in Germany have finally been made. "It is foreseeable that there will be several major construction sites and closures in 2024 and 2025. They are going into crisis mode." This applies to freight and passenger traffic.
In 1996, Switzerland and Germany agreed in an international treaty that the German Karlsruhe-Basel route would be expanded to four lanes. This should create more space for passenger and freight trains.
Many freight trains are canceled
The Swiss are frustrated by the delays and hold-ups of cross-border passenger trains from Germany. Trains that are 10 to 15 minutes or more late are now being abandoned at the border. The Swiss railroads SBB operate their own trains from Basel with punctual departures. Guests from Germany then have to change to the next train there.
"To save Germany's honor, I have to say that the existing corridor works reasonably well," said Füglistaler. The current volume of traffic could be managed, but only "with very poor quality".
Many freight trains are canceled due to operational inadequacies. "The strongest argument for rail freight transport is reliability." It is less about speed than clear promises about when goods will arrive where. "We can't keep this promise at the moment. We need to work massively on quality here too."
"Stick with the train, bear with it"
Füglistaler's message to Deutsche Bahn customers: "Don't give up hope," he said. "Stay with Deutsche Bahn, bear with it, it will get better. But it will take time. So be patient." His message to the transport minister: "The future is simply the railroads. You need decisions and political will. And stamina."
A Deutsche Bahn spokeswoman conceded that other priorities had been set in rail transport policy for decades. "This has considerably delayed the expansion on the German side in direct comparison with neighboring countries." Citizen protests had also almost completely halted the expansion for years. However, a third of the 200-kilometre line between Karlsruhe and Basel is now in operation. "By 2035, Deutsche Bahn will have a continuous four-track line between Karlsruhe and Basel and by 2041, the line will be fully upgraded for speeds of up to 250 kilometers per hour."
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Despite their neighboring countries like Austria and Switzerland having smooth rail traffic, trains from Germany often cause frustration among the Swiss. They anticipate "crisis mode" for rail traffic over the Rhine route from Germany for the next two years.
When discussing the expansion of the rail freight corridor from Rotterdam to Genoa, Peter Füglistaler, Director of the Swiss Federal Office of Transport, pointed out that Germany had not done its homework on this matter, leading to potential challenges in both freight and passenger traffic in Switzerland.
Source: www.ntv.de
