ways run at maximum speed, which leaves room to make up for potential delays.” Trains now doubling as offices As stated above, trains are going faster, and new technologies have transformed them into moving offices. “A daily journey of 90 minutes isn’t a problem as long as you can work during it,” says Vincent Kaufmann, a professor of mobility analysis at EPFL. True, “but only if you have a firstclass ticket”, comments Pierre Dessemontet, a geographer who studied with Kaufmann and is currently mayor of Yverdon-les-Bains. The two specialists researched the impact of Zurich’s suburban rail network on urban sprawl. “In the 1990s, longer commuter distances were covered by car, whereas from 2000 onwards, trains have taken over,” explains Kaufmann. Expanding rail networks contribute to the spread of built-up areas, but this is not a new phenomenon. “In the The world’s densest network With an average of 159 trains operating per day on each line, including freight traffic, the Swiss rail network is the densest in the world. According to the Swiss Public Transport Association, it almost doubled in size between 2000 and 2019, with the number of kilometres travelled on the rails reaching a peak of 21.7 billion in 2019. By October 2022, there were 406,000 GA Travelcards (unlimited travel on the entire network) in use, and 2.8 million Half Fare Travelcards. (SH) 19th century, the development of tram lines led to the growth of towns and cities, thus causing urban sprawl,” recalls Dessemontet. Unlike cars, which can spread out in all directions, “trains structure this development by concentrating urban development around stations”, adds the geographer. Trains separate home and work Excellent rail connections can also encourage people to stay put. Instead of moving to Berne for work, a federal employee might choose to stay in Lausanne and commute. The carbon footprint remains positive, of course, since trains account for only 0.2 percent of the CO2 emissions of all land based transportation. However, Kaufmann fears this trend could impact the good relations between the different regions in Switzerland. “In the past, a job in Berne, for example, required you to relocate and learn German or even Swiss German. Commuting by train reduces these obligations, which are also opportunities for cultural exchange.” The statistics give the impression that trains will one day be able to handle the majority of journeys. In reality, however, car usage continues to grow. No massive modal shift from individual motorised transport to public transport is evident. At the same time, many trains are crowded durThe atmosphere in commuter trains is often the same as in the office: these trains have become a workplace for many. Photo: Keystone ing rush hour. “They’re used by longdistance commuters, in particular. So it would be hard to accommodate all the motorists as well,” comments Kaufmann. According to government forecasts, demand for passenger transport is expected to increase by a further 11 percent by 2050. Meanwhile, Covid 19 has changed habits. “It’s difficult to predict the long-term structural effects of the changes brought about by the pandemic, especially in terms of remote working. We would need to experience a normal year again, but instead we have the war in Ukraine, inflation and the energy crisis,” remarks Dessemontet, the Vaudois geographer and mayor. End of the platform at Scuol, the most easterly train station in Switzerland. This is where the WestEast crossing ends. Photo: Stéphane Herzog Swiss Review / December 2022 / No.6 22 Report
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjYwNzMx