Results for Road transport

24 June 1965

Car vs rail

Rail has held onto its lead for a long time, but with the opening of the Gotthard road tunnel in 1980 road transport through the Alps mounts a strong challenge.

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1967

Combined goods transport

Hupac is the largest provider of combined goods transport through the Alps. It succeeds despite opposition from the railways and the haulage industry.

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5 June 1971

Environmental policy turnaround

In the 1970s, people become increasingly aware of ecological concerns. Attention focuses on forest dieback and protecting the Alpine environment. The NRLA is one of the beneficiaries.

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1 May 1992

Agreement with Europe

Even before the Swiss people vote on the NRLA, politicians are discussing the project in their negotiations with the EEC.

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7 October 1999

The big shift

With the expansion of the NRLA, goods traffic through the Alps is progressively transferred from road to rail, though more slowly than planned.

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20 May 2000

The end of the 28-tonne limit

For the first time, goods vehicles weighing forty tonnes are permitted to travel on Swiss roads. In return, the EU accepts the heavy vehicle fee.

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24 October 2001

A fire brings big changes

The fire in the Gotthard road tunnel is a shock. As a consequence, safety precautions are made more stringent in rail tunnels too. The fire paves the way for the second road tube.

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