Switzerland has put Cargo Sous Terrain, an ambitious scheme to move freight through underground tunnels, on ice, reported SRF. The federal government, several cantons and the city of Zurich have suspended work on the project, citing unmet requirements.
The idea was bold. A privately financed network of subterranean tunnels, backed by blue-chip firms including Coop, Migros, Swisscom and Swiss Post, promised to cut heavy lorry traffic on motorways by up to 40%. But at the start of September the company behind it admitted the sums no longer added up under current legal requirements.
The vision was compelling: trucks off the roads, freight flowing silently beneath the surface. The practicalities proved less so. Financing was the fatal flaw. Technical snags could have been solved; finding private investors willing to shoulder the multibillion-franc cost could not. Bern insists the scheme must be entirely privately funded. That stance has left the project in limbo.
Local scepticism hastened its demise. The first stretch was meant to run from Zurich airport to Härkingen, with 11 hubs along the way. But cantonal and Zurich’s city governments raised worries about groundwater, traffic at access points and what to do with mountains of excavated spoil. They also questioned both the benefits and the business case.
In February 2025, the transport ministry ordered an independent review. Its conclusions, presented this week, were damning: several core legal requirements on underground freight transport were unmet. The federal government and affected cantons duly agreed to suspend planning. Officials insist work could resume if the problems are fixed.
The door remains open. But without public money, Switzerland’s dream of a cargo subway may be buried.
More on this:
SRF article (in German)
CST press release (in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now
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