According to the new timetable, RAlpin AG will end its operation of the Rollende Landstraße (RoLa) connection between Freiburg im Breisgau (Germany) and Novara (Italy) in December 2025. This means the premature end of an important chapter in the history of combined transport. Economic conditions have deteriorated to the point where it is no longer possible to continue operating RoLa, even with financial support from the government.
Rollende Landstraße is a form of combined transport with driver assistance, consisting of transporting entire trucks – a tractor unit with a semi-trailer – on special low-floor wagons. Drivers accompany the vehicles in a separate passenger wagon. This system, introduced in the late 1960s, was intended to transfer freight transport across the Alps from roads to rail, in order to protect the environment and infrastructure.
RAlpin – a joint venture between Swiss railways SBB, BLS and operator Hupac – has operated the RoLa since 2001 as an interim solution. The Freiburg – Novara route was strategically chosen to efficiently serve the north-south corridor until the launch of the NEAT (New Transalpine Railway), which now offers more efficient options for driverless combined transport.
Track renovations killed business
Despite the high level of RoLa utilisation (around 80%), numerous train cancellations due to planned and urgent repair works caused significant financial losses. Already in 2024, around 10% of journeys were cancelled, which translated into a loss of 2.2 million Swiss francs (5.5 million PLN). In the first quarter of 2025, the situation worsened even more – the number of journeys performed fell by 20% compared to the previous year (from 1,018 to 794).
According to RAlpin, this is a systemic problem for the entire Alpine freight transport, which suffers from unreliable infrastructure, especially in Germany, where unexpected track renovations make planning significantly more difficult.
Although the Swiss parliament decided in 2023 to extend support for RoLa until 2028, current conditions make it unrealistic to continue operations until then. In agreement with the Swiss Federal Office of Transport (BAV), RoLa operations will end at the end of 2025.
Impact on freight transport
RoLa recently transported around 72,000 trucks per year across the Alps, which accounted for around 7% of the Alpine combined transport in Switzerland. In the future, these transports are to be taken over by combined transport without drivers, using only semi-trailers or containers. However, due to the limited availability of semi-trailers adapted for crane loading and suitable terminals, it is likely that some transports will temporarily be transferred back to the roads.
To counteract this, BAV plans to invest the remaining support funds in alternative measures to encourage a shift to rail, including support for container transport or reductions in access rates to infrastructure in transit.
Criticism of trade unionists
The Swiss environmental association Pro Alps and the Swiss trade union federation SEV have sharply criticised the decision to prematurely end RoLa. They warn against the return of the “truck wave” to the Alpine routes and emphasise the risks for climate and social policy.
“The premature termination of RoLa’s operations means a clear regression in climate policy and a return to transporting on the roads. This means more traffic jams, higher CO2 emissions, noise and an additional burden on people and the environment. What is most outrageous is that BLS and SBB are jointly responsible for this decision, companies that themselves implement a policy of transferring transport from road to rail. Both have around 30 per cent of the shares in RAlpin AG,” reads the statement of the union federation.
Following the closure of the RoLa in Switzerland, the only comparable connection in Europe remains the Rollende Landstraße operated by Rail Cargo Group via the Brenner Pass (routes Wörgl–Trento, Brenner–Wörgl and Wels–Maribor).
Despite the setback, the goal of transferring Alpine freight transport to rail remains relevant. RAlpin AG hopes that the conditions for combined transport will improve in the coming years, which will enable the implementation of new, sustainable solutions. However, the company emphasizes that further support from politicians is needed. It is important not to squander the efforts made over the past 25 years to successfully transfer freight traffic across the Alps to rail.
