Transport group wants direct international rail links from Geneva

VCS calls for direct international rail connections from Geneva Keystone-SDA

The Swiss Association for Transport and Environment (VCS) is calling for direct connections from Geneva to London, Amsterdam, Barcelona and Brussels.

These cities are among the ten most popular flight destinations from Geneva, although they could be reached by train in less than eight hours, the VCS said on Tuesday.

“The international rail offer is unsatisfactory, the number of connections has fallen and the remaining ones are overloaded,” said Caroline Marti, President of the Geneva section of the VCS.

According to the VCS, only three destinations can be reached via direct daily connections from Geneva: Paris, Milan and Venice. Marseille is also an option, but only in summer. And while night trains run from Basel and Zurich to northern and eastern Europe, there are no longer any such connections from Geneva to western and southern Europe, despite the great potential, the VCS says.

+ Read more: night trains from Switzerland face tough revival

These findings are outlined in a report addressed to cantonal, federal and cross-border authorities. “To offer a real alternative to air or car travel, rail connections must be practical, comfortable and easy. Switzerland must take a clear position so as not to be isolated from the European network,” said Matthieu Jotterand, vice-president of VCS Geneva.

European coordination

The report also proposes solutions. For example, the Swiss federal government could contribute to financing the Lyon area rail bypass project, it says. This would help to speed up development of the project in the nearby French city, which would help to connect Switzerland to France’s high-speed lines.

Switzerland, which according to Jotterand “lacks a coherent vision for international transport”, could also improve its own network. The VCS mentioned in particular the restoration of a direct connection between Geneva and Basel in order to link up with night trains to Germany.

Most direct connections abroad from Switzerland are available from Zurich. From here, rail travellers can reach destinations such as Paris, Amsterdam, Hamburg, Berlin, Prague or Budapest without changing trains. There are also direct train connections from Zurich to Zagreb, Milan or Venice. From Basel, direct international connections lead almost exclusively to the north.

Adapted from German by DeepL/dos

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