Goods transport

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Goods transport

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In focus

FSO News on goods transport

Around 62% of transport performance is carried out by road and 38% by rail. You can find the most important data on goods transport in Switzerland in the publication "Güterverkehr in der Schweiz/Le transport de marchandises en Suisse" (available in French and German).

Information on the goods transport survey

Have you been chosen to take part in the goods transport survey? Here you can find the internet questionnaire and all necessary information for this important survey.

The main figures

Goods transport in Switzerland is mainly carried out over land, i.e. by road and rail. Together, these two modes of transport generated a transport performance of 27.9 billion tonne-kilometres in 2022. The highest previously recorded value was 28.2 billion tonne-kilometres in 2014. In recent years, freight transport in Switzerland has increased less than gross domestic product.

In 2022, 62% of transport performance on land was generated by road vehicles, 38% by rail. In transalpine goods transport, the share of rail transport was considerably higher at 74%.

In import and export traffic, airfreight, Rhine shipping and oil pipelines are also significant components besides road and rail transport.

Key figures on goods transport
Goods transport by road and rail    
Total transport performance 27.9 billion tonne-km1 2022

Change

 +19% 2000–2022

Rail share

 38% 2022
Change of transport performance by road +28% 2000–2022
hange of transport performance2 by rail +5% 2000–2022
Goods transport by air, water and pipeline    
Aviation: quantity carried3 0.4 million tonnes
 2023
Shipping on the Rhine: quantity carried4 4.6 million tonnes
 2022
Oil pipelines: quantity imported 3.7 million tonnes
 2022
Transalpine goods transport (through Switzerland)    
Rail share in quantity carried 74% 2022
Transalpine trips by heavy goods vehicles 0.93 million 2022

Change

 –34% 2000–2022
1) In combined transport calculated without the tare weight of containers and swap bodies (i.e. for rail: net tonne-kilometres)
2) Net tonne-kilometres
3) Freight and post in incoming and outgoing scheduled and charter traffic
4) Imports and exports Sources: FSO – Goods transport statistics (GTS), Public transport statistics (TP); FSO, FOCA – Aviation, scheduled and charter flights (AVIA_LC); FOT, FEDRO – Transalpine goods transport; Swiss Ports – Freight transport on the Rhine; Avenergy Suisse – Annual report

Further information

Graphs

Maps

Press releases

Statistical concepts

On this topic

Road

Data on the tonne-kilometres and vehicle-kilometres covered by road

Rail

Data on the tonne-kilometres and vehicle-kilometres covered by rail

Air, water, pipeline

Data on the transported goods quantities by air, Rhine shipping or pipeline

Combined transport

Data on goods transported by different modes of transport (rail, road and water) using intermodal transport units (e.g. containers)

Transalpine transport

Data on the quantities transported and the number of journeys in transalpine goods transport by road and rail

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Contact

Federal Statistical Office Section Mobility
Espace de l'Europe 10
CH-2010 Neuchâtel
Switzerland
Tel.
+41 58 463 64 68

Monday - Friday:
09.00 - 12.00 / 14.00 - 16.30

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Remark

Our English pages offer only a limited range of information on our statistical production. For our full range please consult our pages in French and German (top right hand screen).

https://www.bfs.admin.ch/content/bfs/en/home/statistics/mobility-transport/goods-transport.html