Basel-City, Basel-Country, Geneva, Ticino, Valais and Vaud have formed an unusual political bloc, writing jointly to the Federal Council on 17 January to demand accelerated investment in Switzerland’s rail network. Their communiqué warns that daily commuter flows and freight volumes have pushed key north-south and east-west corridors to their operational limits, threatening delays that could undermine the export-led economy.
Usage has bounced back to 112 % of pre-pandemic levels, fuelled by population growth and a record 340,000 cross-border workers who live in neighbouring EU countries but staff Swiss life-science, finance and manufacturing hubs. Peak-hour trains on the Lausanne–Geneva and Basel–Olten axes regularly exceed 140 % occupancy, while freight operators struggle to secure late-evening paths through the Gotthard base tunnel.
For companies moving talent across borders, the paperwork can be just as challenging as the packed trains. VisaHQ’s Switzerland service (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) simplifies visa and permit applications, offers real-time tracking and expert guidance, and can therefore help HR teams keep projects on schedule—even when rail bottlenecks threaten to slow everything else down.
![Six Swiss Cantons Urge Fast-Track Rail Upgrades as Cross-Border Commutes Hit Capacity Limits]()
The cantons want the CHF 12 billion “STEP 2035” package—especially the Léman Express upgrade, Zimmerberg Base Tunnel II and platform extensions on the Gotthard route—brought forward by at least three years. Federal Transport Minister Albert Rösti has promised an interim financing plan before the summer recess, but observers note that major civil-engineering projects typically take a decade, meaning commuters and employers face several more years of strain.
For global-mobility teams the stakes are tangible: rail delays ripple quickly through production schedules and client meetings. Multinationals in Geneva and Basel already run company shuttle buses to compensate for late-night timetable gaps, while some are bulk-ordering Swiss Travelcards in January to lock in quota-limited corporate discounts.
Until hard infrastructure catches up, employers are advised to maintain hybrid-work options and to monitor construction timelines closely when planning future site locations or assignment packages.
Usage has bounced back to 112 % of pre-pandemic levels, fuelled by population growth and a record 340,000 cross-border workers who live in neighbouring EU countries but staff Swiss life-science, finance and manufacturing hubs. Peak-hour trains on the Lausanne–Geneva and Basel–Olten axes regularly exceed 140 % occupancy, while freight operators struggle to secure late-evening paths through the Gotthard base tunnel.
For companies moving talent across borders, the paperwork can be just as challenging as the packed trains. VisaHQ’s Switzerland service (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) simplifies visa and permit applications, offers real-time tracking and expert guidance, and can therefore help HR teams keep projects on schedule—even when rail bottlenecks threaten to slow everything else down.
The cantons want the CHF 12 billion “STEP 2035” package—especially the Léman Express upgrade, Zimmerberg Base Tunnel II and platform extensions on the Gotthard route—brought forward by at least three years. Federal Transport Minister Albert Rösti has promised an interim financing plan before the summer recess, but observers note that major civil-engineering projects typically take a decade, meaning commuters and employers face several more years of strain.
For global-mobility teams the stakes are tangible: rail delays ripple quickly through production schedules and client meetings. Multinationals in Geneva and Basel already run company shuttle buses to compensate for late-night timetable gaps, while some are bulk-ordering Swiss Travelcards in January to lock in quota-limited corporate discounts.
Until hard infrastructure catches up, employers are advised to maintain hybrid-work options and to monitor construction timelines closely when planning future site locations or assignment packages.
