Switzerland goes ahead with 80 million euro investment in French railway line

It has been talked about for quite some time, but now it’s official: an 80 million euro investment in French railway infrastructure has been approved by the Swiss federal government. It concerns the railway from Metz to Strasbourg, which then links up to Basel. Switzerland is looking for alternative routes to secure traffic along the Rhine-Alphine TEN-T corridor.

The limitations on the German network, especially in light of the multitude of ongoing and upcoming renovations in the coming years, are forcing Switzerland to seek out alternatives. One such alternative was found in the north east corner of France in the summer of 2024, when Hupac initiated a project which succeeded in diverting 20 freight trains a day along a mostly non-electrified line between Wörth am Rhein and Strasbourg.

Switzerland has now apparently realised it needs more options in France, and is putting its money on the Metz – Strasbourg – Basel line. The choice has reportedly befallen this route because it is already electrified, but now it also needs to be able to accommodate intermodal traffic of all sizes.

Foreign investment

It is not the first time that Switzerland invests in rail infrastructure beyond its own borders. As early as 1955, Switzerland and Italy signed an investment agreement, after which the former contributed financially to the electrification of the Novara – Alessandria line, write Italian media. More recently, Switzerland put 67 million euros in upgrades for a terminal in Milan.