In the last century, the need for mobility grew substantially around the world. Switzerland has a highly developed public transportation system (trains, buses and trams), making travel between its cities and rural areas convenient and rapid. The Swiss are champions in travelling by public transportation and Switzerland has the highest share of freight traffic. In this way Switzerland makes a huge contribution to the quality of life and sustainable development.

Switzerland would like to discuss the techniques and ideas it has developed on public transportation with other nations. The traveling exhibit The Challenge of Sustainable Transportation for the 21st Century: The Prospects for Switzerland and the U.S. fosters bilateral dialogue. It presents information on policies, incentives, infrastructure, land use planning, and timetables. It also provides insights into the long-term financial aspects of transportation and funding plans to ensure high quality and sustainable solutions. Two launching events in Washington, D.C., gave the impetus for the traveling exhibit.

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Sustainable Transportation: A Challenge for the 21st Century

Global Transportation: At a Crossroads
Worldwide mobility has increased significantly over the past decades and humans have profited enormously. But we are at a turning point: most transportation is no longer sustainable.

Benefits • Economic development • Social opportunities • Flexibility for the working world • Personal enrichment	Negative Effects • Global warming • Congestion • Accidents and health hazards • Pollution and noise • Massive consumption of land and natural resources

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Switzerland and the U.S. Face Common Challenges
Switzerland and the U.S. are both wealthy, industrialized nations with strained transportation systems. Switzerland is small, but—like the United States—has a huge amount of goods and people traveling through the country.

 

The Exhibit
This exhibit was created by the Embassy of Switzerland in Washington, D.C., in collaboration with the Federal Office of Transport in Switzerland as part of a U.S.-wide program “Think-Swiss—Brainstorm the future.” As a leading country in science and technology, Switzerland is dedicated to working with its American counterparts to address the challenges of sustainability and find solutions that benefit our world.

The World Is a Book and Those Who Do Not Travel Read Only One Page*                                                                                 *Saint Augustine, A.D. 354-430

Traveling Swiss Style vs. American Style

How Many Miles Do We Travel Each Year?

 

 

Swiss public transportation is successful
and appreciated because it connects not
only the big cities, but also small towns
and villages.

 

Our Lifestyles: Revealed Through Our Travel

 

Public Transportation: Green, Safe, and Affordable

The High Price of Gasoline
The transportation sector consumes 26% of the world’s energy and 58% of its petroleum. Gasoline costs differ immensely from one country to another, mainly due to fuel taxes. High gasoline prices have encouraged the use of public transportation in Europe for many years.

Cost of 1 Gallon of Gasoline (March 2008)

 
Energy-Efficient and Good for the Community

Public transportation:

• Is energy-efficient: Per person and 100 miles, a train needs 2 to 6 times less gasoline than a car. And, on average, it takes only 5 people on a bus to be more carbon-efficient than a car.
• Creates strong neighborhood and economic centers.
• Allows people without cars (seniors, disabled) to be mobile.
• Is 25 times safer than car travel.

Switzerland and Japan: Railway Champions

An average Swiss person travels 1,248 miles per year by rail and makes 44 trips per year by rail. Only the Japanese take more train trips (69 times/year), but for a slightly shorter distance (1,212 miles).

Swiss trains are popular because they are convenient. They are synchronized with connecting trains and buses, making it easy to travel nationally and internationally. Photo: Swiss Travel System

 

Unveiling the Hidden Costs of Transportation

Transportation: A Major Budget Item
Most U.S. households spend about $8,500/year on transportation, whereas Swiss households spend about $7,000/year. Expenses include vehicles, tickets, fuel, insurance, and taxes. In Switzerland, more money goes toward public transportation.

The Full Costs of Transportation Exceed What Users Pay

People and governments pay for most transportation costs directly (vehicles, fares, fuel, insurance, and infrastructure). But transportation also has surprising hidden (or indirect) costs that society at large must pay: Uncovered costs of accidents Health impacts Building damage Air pollution Noise Effects on the environment

Switzerland’s fee on heavy vehicles—introduced in 2001—considers both direct and indirect costs. This is part of Switzerland’s sustainable transport policy and helps shift some of the freight traffic from road to rail.

Rail Travel Is Cheaper than Road Travel in Switzerland

In 2003, in Switzerland, total annual costs for road transport stood at $59.2 billion (12% of the GDP) and at $9.4 billion for rail transport (2.4 % of the GDP).

U.S. and Switzerland: Leaders in Rail Freight

More Trucks on More Crowded Roads

Freight transportation has developed rapidly as population and international trade have grown. To diminish congestion and to stay economically competitive, improvements are urgently needed.

Transporting Goods: A Question of Geography and Priorities

 In 2004, Switzerland transported about 40% of its freight by rail. The United States transported 38% in 2000. These percentages are impressively high compared to most European countries, where the average is around 8%. The European Commission would like to reach 15% by 2020.

Highway freight corridors differ from rail freight corridors. Rail freight is dominant in Switzerland's Alpine region and in the heartland of the U.S. where distances are immense.

Why the U.S. Carries More Freight by Rail than Europe

U.S. Longer distances Coal transport accounts for almost 23% of rail and truck ton-miles in the U.S., but only 1% in Europe

Europe More competitive coastal transportation Priority given to passenger service Lack of interoperability between countries

Public Transportation: A Popular Choice

Time and Again, Swiss Citizens Vote for Trains

Swiss voters generally approve projects for public transportation. Particularly successful was a proposal to build and finance the New Rail Link through the Alps, featuring two large tunnels.

 

In Vogue in America

Twenty-seven U.S. states have some type of citizen initiative and referendum process.

The Swiss Plan: Digging Deep to Protect the Alps

The European Economy Outgrows Its Roads

The strong economy and the opening of borders in Europe have increased freight traffic by about 50% since 1990! With more goods to transport north-south through the Alps, Switzerland’s roads and railways are being strained.

Building a New Rail Link through the Alps

 

 

 

 

 

The new tunnels will be part of the European freight corridor (Netherlands-Italy) and high-speed network.

To protect the Alps, Switzerland will shift more freight traffic from the roads to the rails, by building two gigantic tunnels: the Lötschberg and the Gotthard Base Tunnels.

The Challenge: To Move More Cargo by Rail
1.2 million freight trucks currently cross the Swiss Alps per year. Switzerland wants to cut this amount in half and to return to a higher rail share. In 2007, 64% of goods went through the Swiss Alps by rail. This is a high percentage, but in 1986, the rail share was 81%.

Freight Traffic through the Alps

Switzerland’s share of rail traffic through the Alps is more than double that of France and Austria.

One of the Greatest Public Works of All Time

The Longest Railway Tunnel in the World

At 35 miles long, the Gotthard Base Tunnel will break all records! The Lötschberg Base Tunnel is also in the top 5.

 

The Gotthard Base Tunnel: A Massive Endeavor

20 years and 6,000 people 24 million tons of rock extracted— enough to build a pyramid five times larger than the largest pyramid, Cheops $8.7 billion in total costs

Leveling the Rail through the Alps

 

Source: AlpTransit Gotthard

The construction of base tunnels on the Gotthard and Ceneri provides a modern low-gradient railway through the Alps. The highest point is only 1,804 feet above sea level, the same as the Swiss capital city of Bern.

The Gotthard Base Tunnel will offer a real alternative to planes, cars and trucks: Shorter travel times—One hour less from Zurich to Milan, Italy (2 hours 40 minutes) Longer trains More freight capacity—4,000 tons instead of the current 2,000 tons

Photo: Swiss Travel System  In the old system, trains had to climb a steep grade across the Alps.

 

When Boring Gets Exciting

Geology Determines the Ideal Route

Experienced geologists found the optimal route for the tunnels by making trial borings through many different rock strata in the Alps.

How a Tunnel Is Made: The Classic Method

Photo: AlpTransit Gotthard

Where rock is brittle or soft, miners drill and blast their way through the mountain. This older method is generally slower than using tunnel-boring machines.

The Innovative Method: Tunnel-Boring Machines

Photo: AlpTransit Gotthard

Where rock is strong and stable, tunnel-boring machines (TBMs) are used to cut through the rock and also support the freshly bored tunnel.     About 90% (31 miles out of 35.5) of the Gotthard Base Tunnel is being drilled with boring machines.

How a TBM Works
The drilling head has rotating steel disks that are turned slowly while being pressed against the rock face with a force of up to 2,000 tons. Small, flat pieces of rock break off and are directly removed by a conveyor belt.

Photo: AlpTransit Gotthard

Tunnel-Boring Machines: Key Facts Length: Over 1,312 feet Weight: Over 3,000 tons Driving power: 500 kW (5,000 hp) Diameter of the cutting heads: 31 feet Advance per day: Up to 131 feet

Photo: AlpTransit Gotthard

 

Environment and Safety: Top Construction Priorities

The Art of Recycling

In William Tell’s home in central Switzerland, excavated tunnel material is used to build islands in Urner Lake. Some islands are set aside as natural reserves for birds; the others are for nature lovers and swimmers. To counter noise and dust pollution, con- struction plants, workshops, warehouses and even conveyor belts are designed as enclosed units.

Photo: AlpTransit Gotthard

For Safety’s Sake: One Tunnel Is Two Tunnels Photo: AlpTransit Gotthard

The Gotthard and Lötschberg tunnels are each composed of two single-track tunnels. They are located about 131 feet apart and with connecting galleries every 984 feet.

Photo: AlpTransit Gotthard

In case of emergency: Passengers can easily access the other rail tunnel for an evacuation train. Crossovers allow trains to change from one track to the other. Side tunnels and connecting galleries blow in fresh air. Slight overpressure prevents smoke from entering the escape route.

 

Paying for the Ride: A Long-Term Investment

Sustainable Funding for Sustainable Transportation

In 1998, Swiss voters approved a new Public Transportation Fund of approximately $28.5 billion. It runs over a 20-year period and provides secure funding outside the uncertainties of the Parliament’s annual budget process.

 

Points of Comparison with the U.S.

• A comparable infrastructure commitment on a U.S.-scale would be around $1.5 trillion.
• In the U.S. the nationwide average tax on gasoline is $0.48 per gallon compared to
  Switzerland’s $3 (2008).
• The U.S. Federal Heavy Vehicle Use Tax is levied on vehicles over 55,000 lbs. and is
  capped at $550/vehicle/year. It is based only on weight and not on mileage. Only the
  State of Oregon has a fee based on weight and distance like Switzerland.

One Fund for Four Projects

The Fund finances three transportation projects in addition to the tunnels.

A Rail Renaissance

Record Ridership on U.S. and Swiss Trains

Rail travel has become attractive again in the last two decades. In 2008, Amtrak posted the sixth year of record ridership. This can be attributed to: Increasing gas prices Airline fare increases and less service

Photo: Swiss Travel System

Switzerland’s public transportation has also gained in popularity for several reasons: Half-fare cards and special youth offers Reliable and high-caliber service Frequent trains at regular intervals Restricted parking for cars in cities

High-Speed Rail: Faster than Flying!

The French high-speed train (TGV) set a record of 357 mph! High-speed trains can be faster and more convenient than air travel: There is no check-in, and passengers can use cell phones and wireless Internet. Geneva-Paris: 342 miles—3h 22m (TGV) London-Paris: 306 miles—2h 15m (Eurostar) Boston-Washington, D.C.: 456 miles—6h 40m (Acela) San Francisco-Los Angeles: 432 miles—2h 38m (planned high-speed rail)

Tilting trains run faster by leaning into the curve. They have been operating in Switzerland and the U.S. (the Acela on the East Coast) since 2000.

Return of the Streetcars

After a decline in the mid-20th century, a streetcar revival has taken place in Europe and North America. Europe recently experienced a 40% increase in streetcar tracks.

Photo: Portland Streetcar, Inc.  Portland, Oregon’s new light-rail lines are part of one of the best transit systems in the U.S.

Washington, D.C., plans to have streetcars operating on its roads by 2009. L.A. may revive its beloved streetcar to connect Broadway with downtown. Atlanta is proposing an electric streetcar on Peachtree St., and a revival of a former rail beltway.

 

Moving Freely Across Borders

Toward an Open Rail Market in Europe

In Europe, railroads were natural monopolies, owned by individual governments—often with individual technical specifications (i.e., electric current, tracks). This made it difficult to cross borders. To achieve a single market and reduce greenhouse gases, the E.U. is opening rail service to competition and integrating technologies. This is creating a revitalized rail freight market.

Photo: swiss-image.ch/Christof Sonderreger Although not an E.U. member, Switzerland is also integrating its rails and opening the market to foreign companies.

European Trains Learn a Single Language

 

Sharing the Rails in the U.S.

In the U.S., rail networks are privately owned and lso had to be unified. Legislation in the 1980s eliminated overregulation and allowed companies to use each others’ tracks. More than 97% of the tracks Amtrak uses are owned by cargo railroads, making it difficult to run efficiently between cities.

Bright Ideas for Transportation

Swiss Engineering: A Train Every Half-Hour

Switzerland’s famous timetable, created in 1982, is the highlight of its public transportation system. For user friendliness, trains leave regularly every half-hour and are synchronized with trains and buses at the 28,000 stations. Creating this efficient system is not easy. Engineers must optimize when trains stop and go, how long they spend in stations, the number and types of trains in use, and how fast they move. Infrastructure—the most expensive piece of the puzzle—is the final element to consider.

To synchronize Swiss public transportation, new trains and rails were built to fit travel time between major cities into hourly and half hourly schedules.

Photo: Swiss Travel System Trains are equipped with a driver’s cabin on either end so they can pull in and back out of stations quickly.

Mountain Climbing Made Easy

The American construction of the world’s first cog railway at Mount Washington in New Hampshire by Sylvester Marsh helped convince Swiss authorities and investors to launch the first European cog railway on Rigi Mountain in Switzerland. Profiting from the tourism boom in the Alps, Swiss engineers developed a large number of cog railways in Europe.

Photo: Swiss Museum of Transport Niklaus Riggenbach constructed the first European cog railway up Rigi mountain in Switzerland in 1871.

The Steepest Subway in the World	Cars Can Also Be More Sustainable
Photo: Transports publics de la région lausannoise SA In 2008, Lausanne inaugurated the first metro in Switzerland. The average gradient is 5.7% with short sections at 12%!	Photo: Swiss Federal Institute of Technology “PacCar II” developed by ETH Zurich is the most fuel-efficient concept car in the world, reaching 12,665 mpg. That’s halfway around the world!

Made in Switzerland: A Vibrant Railroad Industry

The Great Train Catch-Up

The rail industry lagged behind the auto industry in manufacturing methods, but caught up in the 1990s with computerized technologies and consolidation. Switzerland is home to many companies that make railcars for modern transportation needs.

Photo: Swiss Federal Office of Transport

Stadler: Swiss Railcars Rolling on the Rail to Success

Stadler, a Swiss family-owned company, makes many railcars and trams for the world. Sales of their cars increased from under $5 million in 1990 to an estimated $1.1 billion in 2007.

Photo: Stadler Stadler delivered railcars to New Jersey for a regional passenger service.

Photo: Stadler Stadler built silent and environmentally- friendly diesel-operated lightrail cars for Austin, Texas.

Bombardier: A One-Size-Fits-All Locomotive

Bombardier Transportation, a Swiss-based, Canadian-owned company has made an innovative locomotive called TRAXX. It uses interchangeable modules with power conversion units to run on different electrical systems and different tracks.

Photo: Bombardier Transportation

To cross borders efficiently on the important north-south transport routes, the Swiss rail freight company bought many TRAXX locomotives from Bombardier.

A Brief History of Swiss and American Rails

Rail Timeline: The U.S. Often a Step Ahead

The “iron horse” began to replace real horsepower in the 19th century. Before then, public
transportation—except for ferryboats—did not exist since home, work, and recreation were
mostly within walking distance.

Switzerland Trains 1845 First railway station 1847 First train: “Spanisch-Brötli- Bahn” 1882 The Gotthard Tunnel (9.3 miles) opens 1898 Swiss vote to nationalize major rail enterprises 1913 The Lötschberg train is inaugurated 2017 Projected opening of the longest railway tunnel in the world: Gotthard Base Tunnel (35.5 miles)	Photo: Swiss Museum of Transport The first Swiss locomotive train was called the “Spanisch-Brötli-Bahn” because it whisked fresh bread from Baden bakers to Zurich customers in a mere 30 minutes.	U.S. Trains 1830 First railroad in Baltimore 1869 “The Golden Spike” completes the nation’s first transcontinental railroad 1934 The Burlington Zephyr 9900 train sets speed record between Chicago and Denver 1971 Amtrak is established by the government 2000 The high-speed Acela is launched on the East Coast
Streetcars 1862 First horse-pulled tram in Switzerland in Geneva		Streetcars 1832 The first U.S. streetcar, pulled by horses, is built in New York. It goes electric in the 1880s.
Funicular 1877 Switzerland’s first funicular runs in Lausanne, and is later transformed into a cog-railway	Photo: swiss-image.ch/Christof Sonderegger  The Gelmer funicular in the Canton of Bern is the steepest in the world with a 106% gradient.	Cable Cars 1873 The first cable car begins operation in San Francisco
Subways 2008 Switzerland inaugurates its first subway in Lausanne, one century after the U.S.		Subways 1897 Boston opens the first U.S. subway