Motorised transport
The growth in traffic volume gives rise to increased congestion on the most highly frequented stretches, especially in the major agglomerations. In view of this, the sum of 5.5 billion francs is to be invested over the coming 20 years in measures to eliminate bottlenecks on the motorway network. The remaining 126.9 kilometres of motorway are expected to be completed within the next 15 years.
The total number of hours of traffic jams on Switzerland’s motorways fell by 2.6 percent in 2008 versus 2007, despite a slight increase in the traffic volume. The total of 10’048 hours was the lowest recorded figure in seven years. Congestion was the main cause, followed by accidents and road works.
Public transport, railways
No country in the world provides such a dense and extensive public transport system as Switzerland. The Federal Office of Transport (FOT) works daily to maintain this efficient and high-quality service and to extend it further where necessary. The Confederation and the cantons thus commission and pay for the necessary services from approx. 500 state- licensed transport companies.
In addition, the FOT makes considerable financial contributions to the maintenance and extension of rail infrastructure in Switzerland. The Confederation annually invests about 5 billion Swiss francs in public transport in Switzerland. This is still not enough, however, to cover all the demands of the railways and of the cantons. So it is all the more important to deploy the available, limited resources in a targeted and economic way.
Large-scale projects to extend railway infrastructure include the two new transalpine rail routes through the Alps (NRLA), BAHN 2000, the acoustic treatment of rolling stock and track, and Switzerland's connection to the European high-speed rail network (TGV and ICE). Further, the two projects ZEB – “Future development of railway infrastructure” and "BAHN 2030" show that we are already planning for the decades to come. These projects will modernise Switzerland's rail infrastructure sustainably and tailor it to future requirements. Attractive regional public transport in the conurbations will be suited to travelers’ needs and further reduce the volume of road traffic in congested urban areas.