Night trains to Barcelona and Rome from Switzerland may not see the light of day. In question, the Federal Council recently announced a series of saving measures. Among them, there is the cancellation of the subsidization of night trains to the tune of 30 million francs per year.
Leave by train from Zurich to Rome, or from Geneva to Barcelona, and wake up there in the early morning. SBB has been thinking about this for years. But today the financing of these lines is no longer assured. It is therefore impossible to move forward, as CFF spokesperson Frédéric Revaz explains.
“These are lines which are not profitable, because the trains only run once a day and require a lot of maintenance and staff. So indeed, we must ensure that we have funding to launch these two projects .”
It was planned that the Confederation would subsidize the provision of night trains from next year. This financing was even included in the CO2 law adopted by Parliament. But the Federal Council now wants to save the 30 million francs which were dedicated to it as part of its savings program.
The left and the Green liberals angry
The left and the Green Liberals are fuming. According to them, the CO2 law must be applied and alternatives to flying must be supported. Geneva Green national councilor Delphine Klopfenstein Broggini considers this decision to be an aberration.
“It is a decision which goes against the will of Parliament which passed the CO2 law. […] The Federal Council is ironing out accounts which, on the contrary, should be supported. If we want to achieve the objectives of reducing CO2 emissions, we must find alternatives to air mobility”, underlines the national advisor. “Naturally, night trains are a way to follow. Today, we are late on the subject. And now we’re falling even further behind. It’s absolutely incomprehensible.”
The right for austerity in terms of soft mobility
On the right, some believe that it is reasonable to block expenditure that has not yet been incurred. And for Neuchâtel PLR national councilor Damien Cottier, the Federal Council had to weigh up the interests. The seven Sages therefore made the right decision, according to him.
“I find it relevant for the Federal Council to start with these credits, which are not yet subsidies. […] We must give priority to international rail traffic, but at high speed. […] High-speed traffic is profitable, while night trains, unfortunately, are pretty, even romantic, but that is not what will solve the climate crisis. And above all, they do not ensure their profitability.”
This debate will continue in Parliament. If the Chambers validate this decision, the extension of the night train network from Switzerland could be significantly slowed down.
Gabriela Cabré
Adaptation web: Julien Furrer
#Swiss
