Interview with Federal Councillor Albert Rösti

As head of the Department of Transport and an avowed railway fan, the Federal Councillor is committed to future-oriented mobility in Switzerland. In this interview, he talks about his plans to strengthen rail transport, the opportunities and challenges of the digital automatic coupling and the important role of international cooperation.

As Head of the Department of Transport, you have admitted to being a railway fan. What priorities would you like to set for Switzerland as a railway country?

The need for mobility in Switzerland has risen sharply: We accept longer journeys to work than in the past, travel by rail, road and air for leisure and holidays, and goods are also transported by rail. Ever since I took office as Federal Councillor, I have been saying that there is no point in playing one mode of transport off against another. Yes, I am a railway fan, but of course I also recognise the importance of road and air transport. My main concern is to find solutions for targeted mobility that make economic and ecological sense. I hope that, as Minister of Infrastructure, I will succeed in helping to objectify this sometimes emotionally debated topic.

At the beginning of this year, the Federal Council adopted the dispatch on the introduction and promotion of the Digital Automatic Coupling (DAC). The DAC is intended to make rail freight transport more efficient, faster and more economical. What opportunities and risks do you see with the introduction and use of the DAC?

We expect the DAK to not only increase the efficiency of the coupling process, but also of the entire train preparation. This is why DAK is also important for block trains and transalpine transport. Today, it takes up to three hours to prepare a goods train before it can set off, because everything has to be done manually. In this time, a lorry has already travelled halfway across Switzerland. With the DAK, these train preparation times can be reduced to a minimum. Logistics and the economy can benefit because the goods arrive at their destination more quickly. This can save money in the long term. The DAK also increases the safety of employees, which is important to me. 

The introduction of the DAK is not only important for domestic freight transport. The EU is also facing similar challenges and is discussing the introduction of the GFC. Switzerland is ahead of the European process, but wants to ensure coordination with the European DAC Delivery Programme (EDDP). How do you avoid a special Swiss solution?

The introduction of the DAC for rail freight transport must be successful throughout Europe, otherwise the utilisation effect will remain too small. For this reason and out of conviction, Switzerland signed a joint position paper with Germany and Austria at the end of April 2024 committing to DAC. For this reason, it is already clear that there will be no special Swiss solution: Our country maintains very close contacts with numerous countries in Europe. We are well represented in all important international land transport bodies. The DAK is an important topic in the specialist groups for rail freight transport. The EU has invested hundreds of millions of euros to launch the Europe's Rail Joint Undertaking (ERJU) and European DAC Delivery Programme (EDDP) development projects.

Not all EU member states are convinced by the DAC. Switzerland has therefore joined Germany and Austria in positioning itself as a European DAC advocate. What can we learn from our neighbouring countries with regard to the introduction of DAC?

As I said, we absolutely must get the EU member states on board. Switzerland has a good reputation with regard to rail transport and has guest status in the technical commissions. Switzerland will therefore work with Germany and Austria to promote the DAK in the EU. With our side event on the DAK at the International Transport Forum in Leipzig on 22 May, we were able to send a signal to the EU and other European countries. At around the same time, the European Commission approved a German aid scheme for single wagonload transport totalling 1.7 billion euros, which can be used to support rail freight transport companies, similar to our Freight Transport Act. I interpret this as a good signal.

Cooperation between all stakeholders is crucial for successful implementation. Swissrail represents the industry's perspective in the process through a working group. What wishes do you have for the industry? How can the Swiss railway industry support the introduction of the GAC at European level?

I very much welcome the fact that the industry wants to position itself well for the introduction of the GAC. However, I also realise that so far only SBB Cargo, which in turn has received substantial financial support from the federal government, has made preliminary efforts. The DAK offers great opportunities for the rail freight market and its suppliers. However, it is not acceptable for the federal government and the railways alone to bear the risks. It is now up to the industry to find a robust and financially viable solution that is quickly available. We must now work very quickly towards approval and market maturity. 

Looking ahead to 2028, where do we stand in terms of DAK and the digitalised handling of goods in rail transport?

In 2028, we could be ready to go or already in the middle of the migration to DAK. I assume that by 2026, several trains with a DAK and Swiss components will have successfully gone into trial operation. The technology is so stable that the Swiss and European approval authorities have given the technical green light. The DAK is ready for series production. This is a major project: around 500,000 vehicles will need to be equipped throughout Europe. 

Swiss mobility solutions are a global export success and around 80% of Swissrail members are active worldwide.Swissrail is therefore committed to promoting exports and regularly plans activities abroad. How can DETEC offer Swissrail members additional support?

DETEC and the FOT in particular maintain good and close cooperation with the industry. We support the testing of technological innovations in order to develop market-ready, robust and cost-effective products that have opportunities all over the world. 
The reputation of Swiss railways and public transport in general is very good. And you know that there is a lot of money involved. That is the best advertisement for Swiss railway products. 

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