Switzerland to fund upgrade of railway along Rhine’s left bank

Switzerland is ready to make 60 to 80 million francs to upgrade the Metz-Strasbourg-Basel railway, which would provide a valid alternative on the left bank of the Rhine River along one of Europe’s busiest axes. The line’s profile needs to be adapted to further boost the modal shift in the area from road to rail.

Finding alternative rail routes along the Rhine is crucial for rail freight in Europe, as it is a key section of the Rhine-Alpine corridor, stretching from Genoa, in Italy, to Rotterdam, in the Netherlands. The possibility of Switzerland financing an upgrade of the Metz-Strasbourg-Basel already surfaced in June as a proposal from the Federal Council. It now seems that the Federal Government is backing this idea as well and will put money on the table, as Swiss media TVSvizzera mentioned.

The Metz-Strasbourg-Basel line is not the only railway along the left bank of the Rhine. The Wörth-Lauterbourg-Strasbourg railway, for example, proved to be key in August while the main line through Germany was being upgraded. This line, however, is not electrified, and Switzerland is now pushing Germany and France to carry this project out, with the former showing some resistance.