Swiss Government Prioritizes Rail Expansion, Proposes Cutting Over 30 Road Projects

Switzerland is shattering the status quo. In a historic move that signals a definitive pivot in national infrastructure, the Federal Council has unveiled a unified transport strategy extending to 2045 that aggressively prioritizes rail over road. For the first time, the executive body is merging rail, road, and urban transport into a single, cohesive proposal, but the winners and losers are starkly clear. While the rail network prepares for a massive capacity injection, the government is proposing to scrap more than 30 planned road projects.

This is not just an adjustment; it is a transformation. The Federal Council is responding to the urgent need for sustainable mobility by reallocating resources where they matter most. A public consultation launching in June will finalize these bold plans, but the message is already reverberating across the cantons: the future of Swiss transport is on the tracks, not the tarmac.

By 2035, the heartbeat of Swiss transit will accelerate dramatically. The Federal Council demands a surge in frequency that will see trains running between Zurich and Bern every 15 minutes—a quarter-hourly pulse designed to obliterate waiting times. This aggressive scheduling overhaul doesn't stop there. The plan mandates half-hourly services on the critical Bern-Lucerne and Basel-Zurich lines, ensuring that major economic hubs are more tightly woven together than ever before.

Regional lines are also set to synchronize to a consistent half-hourly rhythm, eliminating the disparity between urban centers and outlying areas. Looking further ahead to 2045, the government has greenlit monumental infrastructure feats, including the first phase of the Lucerne through-station and the Grimsel tunnel. These are not merely aspirations; they are approved, parliamentary-backed mandates that will redefine how the Swiss population moves for decades to come.

While rail surges, road expansion confronts a brutal reality check. In a decisive move to curb sprawl and respect voter sentiment, the Federal Council proposes dropping over 30 motorway projects. This is a staggering reduction in asphalt ambition. Among the high-profile casualties are the A1 widening schemes between Schönbühl and Kirchberg in Bern, and the controversial Le Vengeron to Nyon route in Geneva—projects that had already faced rejection at the ballot box.

Instead of pouring concrete, authorities will pivot to "smart" operational measures. The strategy relies on converting emergency lanes for regular traffic during peak congestion, a pragmatic approach to squeezing efficiency out of existing infrastructure. This signals the end of the era of endless highway expansion, forcing a shift toward optimizing what is already built rather than paving over more of the Swiss landscape.

Ambition requires ammunition, and the Federal Council is loading a financial war chest of unprecedented size. To fund this rail revolution, the government proposes extending the VAT surcharge that feeds the Rail Infrastructure Fund (BIF) well beyond 2030. This fiscal maneuver is projected to generate a staggering additional CHF 8 billion ($10 billion) by 2045.

This injection swells the total budget for rail expansion to a colossal CHF 24 billion. This is not just maintenance money; it is capital for transformation. By securing this funding stream, Switzerland is putting its money where its mouth is, ensuring that the quarter-hourly targets and tunnel megaprojects are backed by hard currency. The message to the taxpayer is clear: the cost of a world-class rail network is high, but the investment is non-negotiable.

Despite the cull, the government acknowledges that rail cannot carry the entire load alone. Critical road arteries remain on life support, with the Federal Council prioritizing projects that offer immediate relief to paralyzed bottlenecks. The A1, Switzerland’s notorious congestion backbone, will see targeted expansion. Plans are locked in to widen the road to six lanes between Aarau-Ost and the Birrfeld junction, as well as the stretch between Perly and Bernex in Geneva.

These projects are the survivors—deemed essential to keep the national economy moving while the rail network expands. By focusing strictly on these high-impact zones, the government is attempting a delicate balancing act: maintaining essential road flow without succumbing to the demand for blanket highway expansion. It is a surgical approach to infrastructure, cutting the fat while reinforcing the vital organs of the road network.