During the complete closure of the Rhine Valley Railway in August 2024, a diesel shuttle service on the left bank of the Rhine proved to be a successful alternative. Around 20 freight trains per day ran through Alsace on the non-electrified route Wörth-Lotherbourg-Strasbourg-Offenburg. The project, supported by SBB Cargo International, Captrain France, DB InfraGo and SNCF Reseau, helped maintain the stability of combined transport on the north-south axis despite capacity constraints at the transfer points.
While the reduction in traffic during the holiday season was largely controlled, the bypass route reached its capacity by the end of August as volumes increased. The experience highlighted the need to upgrade the Belgium-Metz-Strasbourg-Basel axis to a 4-metre corridor for long-term stability. Swiss transport policy is pushing for the necessary investments in the expansion of the tunnels through the Vosges Mountains, similar to the successful projects in Italy.
Encouraged by the positive results, Hupac plans to further expand its transport on the left bank of the Rhine. Despite the difficulties, transalpine transport via Switzerland showed a slight increase, stabilising after a difficult previous year.