The Cargo Sous Terrain (CST) project is an innovative transport project in Switzerland. Over the next 25 years, an underground freight transport system is to be built across Switzerland; from Geneva to St. Gallen. Self-propelled vehicles are to transport pallets and containers from the logistics centers to the cities.
From the city hubs the goods will be distributed to the final customers. The first leg from Zurich to Härkingen (SO) is to be put into operation as early as 2030. The CST initiators include well-known companies such as Migros and Coop, Swiss Post and Swisscom, as well as Mobiliar and Panalpina.
The 33-billion-tunnel has taken an important hurdle in April 2019: The Federal Council has agreed to start work on a “law on underground freight transport”. this creates the conditions for a uniform approval process so that the underground tunnels can be planned with a reasonable effort.
The Swiss cantons accuse the Federal Council of not taking responsibility for the 33 billion tunnel project. The cantons fear that investors will be unsettled if a clear commitment of the federal government fails. The cantons say the increasing congestion and its negative impact on the environment would require innovative solutions to handle the movement of goods.
Source: Neue Zürcher Zeitung
Picture: CST