December 2008 - The Alpine Crossing Exchange arrives in Vienna

The Alpine Initiative has given the name “Alpentransitbörse” (Alpine Crossing Exchange) to a train belonging to the Austrian railway company ÖBB. From 14 December 2008, this train (IC 543) will run daily between Salzburg and Vienna.

 

(PHOTOPRESS/Franz Neumayr)

The Alpine Initiative has become the sponsor of intercity train IC 543 belonging to the Austrian railway company ÖBB. This train will now be called “Alpentransitbörse” (Alpine Crossing Exchange). Its name will be announced at each stop between Salzburg and Vienna, displayed on the train itself and mentioned in the rail information leaflets distributed on the trains. The IC 543 “Alpentransitbörse” will run for at least a year.

During the current winter session of the Swiss Parliament, the Federal Council (Swiss government) was mandated to introduce an Alpine Crossing Exchange (ACE) – in agreement with the other Alpine states. Moreover, the Swiss Parliament stipulated that the number of transalpine truck crossings must be reduced to 650,000 per year. This objective has to be reached by 2019. Without the Alpine Crossing Exchange, however, the transfer of freight traffic from road to rail is not feasible and the new Gotthard base tunnel will not be used to its full capacity.

In Austria, the Sustainable Transport Association VCÖ is also recommending the introduction of an Alpine Crossing Exchange. Recently, the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) Tyrol told its Swiss sister party, the Christian Democratic People’s Party (CVP) in a letter that it considers the ACE to be a “particularly important project for the sustainable development of transalpine freight traffic”. Bernhard Tilg, the member of the Tyrolean provincial government responsible for transport, requested transport management measures for the Brenner route, whose final result is to be an Alpine Crossing Exchange. The current President of the Federal Council (Small Chamber of the Austrian Parliament), Jürgen Weiss (ÖVP) from the province of Vorarlberg, also advocates an ACE.

The Alpine Initiative is working to promote the Alpine Crossing Exchange across the entire Alpine region and the rapid introduction of such an exchange in Switzerland. This would benefit the population along transit routes, nature in the highly sensitive Alpine region and the railways, whose capacity will be better utilised.

Contact:
→ Fabio Pedrina, National Councillor (Member of the Swiss Parliament) and President of the Alpine Initiative: +41 79 249 29 42