Freight traffic through Swiss Alps drops significantly
Rail and road were affected in equal measure
Keystone
The Covid-19 pandemic caused transalpine freight traffic to fall by 12% in the first half of the year. Rail and road were affected in equal measure.
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The reason for the decline was weaker industrial activity and the resulting lower flow of goods, the Federal Office of Transport said on Tuesday.
The slump was particularly pronounced from mid-March onwards, especially goods traffic to and from Italy. After a slow recovery in May, in the second half of June transport levels returned to those of the previous year or slightly higher.
A total of 408,000 trucks passed through the Swiss Alps in the first half of 2020, around 57,000 fewer than in the first half of 2019. In contrast to previous crises, such as the financial crisis of 2008, rail transport maintained its market share of 71% of transalpine freight traffic.
How the situation develops in the second half of the year depends to a large extent on further economic recovery and the course of the coronavirus pandemic, the transport office said.
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