Switzerland Extends Deadline For New Freight Wagon Regulations Until 2026 Amid Legal Challenge From Industry

Published on October 21, 2025

The Swiss Federal Office for Transport (FOT) has announced a one-year hold to nan deadline for freight wagon owners and attraction providers to comply pinch caller regulations. Originally group for 2025, nan revised deadline is now December 31, 2026. This determination comes arsenic awesome manufacture players, including nan International Union of Wagon Keepers (UIP), hole to situation nan rules successful court. The caller regulations, which person generated important controversy, purpose to amended nan information and ratio of freight wagons operating wrong Switzerland by mandating minimum instrumentality diameters, much predominant attraction schedules, and improved inspection protocols.

The Basis for nan New Regulations

The caller rules were introduced successful consequence to a study issued by nan Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (Sust). The report, published on June 2, 2023, followed a important freight train derailment successful nan Gotthard Base Tunnel connected August 10, 2023, which caused awesome disruptions to trans-Alpine obstruction freight traffic. The derailment was linked to respective information issues wrong nan existing system, which led to nan FOT’s determination to instrumentality these caller measures aimed astatine preventing early accidents.

In its announcement, SBB (Swiss Federal Railways) supported nan regulations, arguing that they were captious for improving nan information and reliability of nan Swiss obstruction network. SBB emphasized that digitalisation, modern attraction practices, and integer signalling would thief forestall accidents for illustration nan Gotthard derailment, ensuring a safer and much businesslike obstruction system.

Industry Pushback and Legal Challenges

While nan Swiss authorities and SBB person expressed beardown support for nan caller regulations, they person faced important guidance from nan International Union of Wagon Keepers (UIP). UIP represents a important information of nan freight wagon manufacture successful Europe and has raised concerns astir nan effect of nan caller rules connected nan broader European obstruction freight sector. The national argues that nan regulations could undermine nan integrity of nan European Union’s azygous market by disrupting cross-border obstruction postulation and making it much difficult for freight to move crossed Europe, peculiarly done nan captious Alpine corridors successful Switzerland.

The UIP besides argues that nan unilateral determination by Switzerland to enforce these regulations contradicts nan Principle of Interoperability nether nan EU-Switzerland Land Transport Agreement. They declare that Switzerland’s move does not align pinch nan ongoing efforts by nan European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) and nan Joint Secretariat (JNS) to create a much harmonised attack to obstruction information pursuing nan Gotthard accident.

Impact connected Freight Wagon Availability and Supply Chains

One of nan awesome points of contention successful nan caller regulations is nan request for each freight wagon inspections to beryllium carried retired successful stationary workshops, abstracted from regular attraction intervals. UIP has warned that this request could trim nan readiness of freight wagons, perchance starring to disruptions successful proviso chains crossed Europe. The national besides believes that these caller measures could summation operational costs, which would further strain nan already pressured European obstruction freight market.

Given that overmuch of nan international transit traffic passing done Switzerland is captious for nan European economy, including equipment transported to and from Germany, Italy, and Scandinavia, nan effect of these regulations could beryllium far-reaching. UIP suggests that nan complexity and costs of nan regulations could harm nan competitiveness of obstruction freight compared to different modes of transport, specified arsenic roadworthy and oversea shipping.

The Road Ahead: Balancing Safety pinch Operational Efficiency

The extension until 2026 provides further clip for freight wagon owners and maintainers to set to nan caller regulations. However, nan ongoing legal challenge from manufacture groups for illustration UIP signals that nan rumor will stay contentious. As nan tribunal lawsuit progresses, it will beryllium important to onslaught a equilibrium betwixt improving information standards and ensuring that nan regulations do not inhibit nan travel of equipment crossed Europe. The result of this ineligible conflict will person important implications not conscionable for Switzerland, but for nan wider European obstruction freight sector.