Switzerland’s parliament has pulled the plug on funding for a planned night train linking Basel with Malmö in southern Sweden, reported RTS. After the Council of States rejected the proposal, the National Council followed suit on Tuesday, striking the CHF 10m needed to launch the service from the 2026 budget. The margin was narrow: 99 votes to 92, with two abstentions.
Opponents said taxpayers should not underwrite what they saw as a leisure route. Yvan Pahud of the Swiss People’s Party (UDC/SVP) argued that subsidising such a line was unacceptable, while Alex Farinelli of the Liberal Democrats (PLR/FDP) said the service was neither required by law nor a priority. He dismissed it as a costly symbol rather than an effective transport measure, pointing instead to other green initiatives already funded in the budget.
Supporters, including the left, the Greens Liberals and the Centre, countered that parliament had only last year endorsed the promotion of night trains as part of the revised CO₂ law. Overturning that commitment, argued Simon Stadler of the Centre, made little sense. The appeal failed.
The Basel–Malmö train, routed via Hamburg and Copenhagen, had been scheduled to start operating in April 2026, three times a week. Tickets had already gone on sale.
Rail travel produces a fraction of the emissions of flying—roughly one-tenth—but it is slower and often pricier. Making overnight trains financially attractive compared to flying requires subsidies.
Spending CHF 10m on this project would be unlikely deliver sufficient emissions cuts to justify the cost. A rough calculation, even under the optimistic assumption of full train occupancy, suggests that the CHF 10m subsidy would reduce emissions at a cost of roughly CHF 650 per tonne of CO₂-equivalent—a poor return on investment. By comparison, replacing an oil-fired boiler with an electric heat pump typically abates emissions at CHF 150–250 per tonne.
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RTS article (in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now
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