Despite the continuation of the downward trend in the volumes of intermodal traffic and turnover, Hupac will be returned to profit, despite - specified the Swiss company - the major challenges affecting the European rail network. The last year, the intermodal transport carried out by Hupac was equal to 949 thousand road shipments, with a decrease of -2.6% on 2023, of which 536 thousand shipments in transalpine traffic through the Switzerland (-0.2%), 394 thousand shipments in non-transalpine traffic (-1.2%), 19 thousand shipments in transalpine traffic through Austria (-45.5%), while transalpine traffic through the France has almost zeroed out. The company specified that These last two routes have been affected by the impact the interruption of the line via Modane and the adjustments of the network in the north-east of Italy that have led to a strong contraction of transalpine traffic through France and Austria.

In 2024, Hupac recorded revenues from supplies and services amounted to CHF 626.4 million (€669 million), decrease of -3.3% on the previous year. More the reduction in the costs of services that are amounted to CHF 529.1 million (-6.5%). The operating margin gross income was €60.0 million (+37.6%) and profit for the year of €9.2 million compared to a net loss of €-6.2 million Swiss francs in 2023.

By announcing these results today, the Swiss group has highlighted that "the persistent critical issues of the railway infrastructure along the north-south axis always put transalpine combined transport under more pressure" and that, "without rapid and decisive interventions in the field of political of transport, there is a risk of a serious setback of the modal shift'. "Weighing on the sector in 2024 - specified Hupac - were also the persistent weakness the increase in energy and traction costs, as well as structural deficiencies with the inadequate infrastructure maintenance and poor coordination of construction sites, resulting in delays, cancellation of trains, capacity limitations and loss of market confidence". The company has announced that "currently, less than half of Hupac's transalpine trains arrive at their destination on time and about 20% of the connections have to be cancelled due to external factors. Often both the main and the are affected by closures at the same time, while The essential information in this regard often reaches the operators who are late or do not arrive at all. In addition, penalties contracts for cancelled trains considerably reduce the profitability of combined traffic'.

Hupac denounced that "the consequences of the difficult current situation are evident: from 2022 the volume of traffic combined transalpine decreased by 9%, while in the same Freight traffic by road increased by 4%. Without targeted countermeasures, there is a risk of a regression with respect to one of the Central objectives of Swiss transport policy. The early closure of the Rolling Highway (Rola) at the end of the 2025 (announced yesterday by Ralpin, ed. - of 5 May 2025) is directly linked to the high vulnerability of the railway infrastructure".

To counteract this modal shift, Hupac is urging The intervention of the Swiss government: "A decisive lever - emphasized the company - is the financial participation extension of the P400 profile corridor on the left bank of the Rhine, along the Belgium-Metz-Basel axis, as well as of the Strasbourg-Lauterbourg-Wörth alternative route (motion 22.3000). With the adaptation of the profile of railway tunnels through the Vosges - explained the company - the axis Belgium-Metz-Basel would become a P400 profile corridor and then an access link to the San Base Tunnel Gotthard for combined transport. The realization of this infrastructural intervention, subject to time constraints stringent requirements, requires full funding from the Switzerland, as it will not bring significant benefits for the France. This is in line with the practice followed so far for the expansion of the profile of the tunnels along the corridor of the four meters in northern Italy. The second corridor of the four meters thus created in the north would expand so much as capabilities of the entire NRLA system, thus creating the conditions for new transalpine road transport can be transferred to the railway. Since today about 50% of transalpine traffic through Switzerland is the links to Benelux, the lightening of the four-metre corridor on the right bank of the Rhine should lead to a clear improvement reliability and quality of the entire system transalpine combined transport. As regards the Strasbourg-Wörth relief, the use of hybrid locomotives (electric/diesel) would represent a more cost-efficient compared to electrification, which it is not a priority for France. That would allow, in the case of large construction sites with total closure of the axis of the Rhine valley, to divert on the left bank of the Rhine".

Hupac highlighted that "these measures are fundamental to sustainably alleviate bottlenecks along the axis of the right bank of the Rhine, overloaded and subject to frequent disruptions, and to make the transfer of of new traffic volumes from road to rail. Equally important is the rapid construction of additional reserve north and south of the Alps (motion 24.3339), in order to stabilize the operation in the presence of frequent inefficiencies along the corridor".

In addition, Hupac calls for the adoption of targeted financial instruments to ensure the competitiveness of combined transport compared to road transport in view of continuous delays that characterize the upgrading of the railway of the Rhine Valley needed to ensure an efficient connection with the new NRLA rail through the Alps, delays that will allow only from 2045 to be able to count on a railway line which will allow the circulation of trains up to 750 km long meters compared to the currently allowed maximum length of 680 Meters. "At the moment - explained the president of the company Helvetic, Hans-Jörg Bertschi - the sector manages to exploit only partially the advantages offered by the flat railway. The target of a 10% increase in productivity remains therefore out of reach. It is therefore necessary to start a serious discussion on the extension of operational contributions to the combined transport beyond 2030. Ensure the Investment certainty is essential for all businesses involved in the continuation of the modal shift".

Noting that even in 2025 the market scenario will promises to be complex, Hupac has announced that it will face the challenges with a strategic reorientation, focusing on the two years on combined traffic on the North-South axis, focusing on on key high-traffic relationships, with the aim of to operate three or four trains per day in each direction of these routes, ensuring a more stable offer, reliable and consistent with market needs. "A more frequency for each report - specified Hupac CEO Michail Stahlhut - allows us to to react more quickly to disturbances and to offer our customers more reliable planning and stable. In the event of a train being cancelled, an alternative is available quickly. At the same time, this model increases overall efficiency of rail operations, thanks to a greater flexibility in the use of means and personnel".