After more than two decades, it’s all over: RAlpin AG is discontinuing its rolling highway (Rola) service when the timetable changes in December 2025. The service, which transports entire trucks on low-floor wagons between Freiburg im Breisgau and Novara through the Alps, was originally intended as a temporary solution. Now the end is coming sooner than expected.
The service was originally supposed to continue until the end of 2028. This was because the Federal Council had proposed in its 2021 report on the transfer of freight from road to rail that the Rola should be subsidized one last time with around CHF 20 million per year until the end of 2028. At the time, this proposal was approved by a large majority in the consultation process. Nevertheless, the Federal Council decided in 2022 to continue the subsidy only until the end of 2026 for financial reasons.
Despite demand: operation no longer viable
And now it is ending earlier than planned, as RAlpin AG announced in a statement. This is despite the fact that demand is strong. The Rola was operating at around 80 percent capacity until recently. Nevertheless, RAlpin posted a loss of 2.2 million Swiss francs in 2024. The reasons for this are construction work, short-term route closures and an increasingly fault-prone infrastructure, especially north of the Swiss border.
Under these circumstances, it is not possible for RAlpin to continue operations economically – even with financial support from the federal government. According to the company, a return to normal is also “not in sight.”
The Rola: environmental relief on rails
The rolling highway was more than just a freight train: it was intended to help shift transalpine freight traffic to rail. This is a key objective of Swiss transport policy. Trucks were loaded onto special wagons and drivers traveled in accompanying carriages. This relieved the strain on the road network, reduced CO₂ emissions, and protected the environment.
By extending the service until 2026, the federal government wanted to prevent a return to the roads and use the existing Rola rolling stock until the end of its service life. In the medium term, transport was to be gradually transferred to unaccompanied combined transport. This was to be achieved through the increased use of craneable semi-trailers and new transshipment facilities, among other measures.
What will happen to the trucks?
RAlpin currently transfers up to 80,000 trucks from road to rail each year, which corresponds to around seven percent of combined transport across the Alps. Once the Rola service is discontinued, many of these transports could temporarily return to the roads.
In the long term, these volumes are to be transferred to other rail solutions, as planned by the federal government. However, many logistics companies will first have to convert their operations. A seamless transition is unlikely.
Employees and shareholders remain committed
RAlpin currently employs 16 people. Individual solutions are being sought for them. Financing until the service is discontinued is secured: the three shareholders BLS, Hupac, and SBB are on board. The federal government is also increasing the compensation per truck loaded once again.
Despite the approaching end, RAlpin wants to work with its customers to find transitional solutions. The aim is to keep as many transports as possible on the rails – even after the Rola era.
A symbolic end for rail freight transport?
The end of Rola is not just the end of a single project. It is also symbolic of the major challenges facing transalpine rail freight transport. Switzerland has invested billions in Alpine transit over the past 25 years. Projects such as the NEAT have shown how freight can be successfully shifted to rail.
However, stable networks and predictable framework conditions are needed to ensure that this course is maintained in the long term. Above all, political support is also needed in neighboring countries. RAlpin has already warned that without reliable infrastructure and further accompanying measures, the modal shift target will come under increasing pressure. This was once again clearly demonstrated last year when the share of rail in transalpine freight transport fell due to the many construction sites on the network.
