Cargo Sous Terrain has faced a serious setback following Swiss authorities freezing forward movements on its sectorial plan due to persisting environmental, engineering, and logistical hurdles on the nation’s underground freight transport vision.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Cargo Sous Terrain Faces Setback Amid Feasibility Review
A Cargo Sous Terrain pod. Cargo sous terrain

Cargo Sous Terrain Development Stoppered by Swiss Government

The Swiss Federal Office of Transport (FOT) halted projects on the Cargo Sous Terrain initiative when some faults concerning groundwater, traffic, and excavation materials were noted.

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Representatives of Zurich, Solothurn, and Aargau cantons participated in the FOT decision due to the fact that they sought environmental and town influences clarity prior to proceeding.

The suspension resulted from a close examination carried out by the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communication (UVEK), which concluded that the project wasn’t yet feasible and financed enough on the indispensable criteria.

Thus, the planning process will be held in abeyance until a further study confirms that environmental and economics criteria are feasible.

Cargo Sous Terrain Vision for Sustainable Logistics

The firm behind Cargo Sous Terrain is looking at designing a fully automatized underground freight link connecting large industrial and metropolitan centers. Autonomous pods would transport two EUR pallets each at 30 km/h, using tunnels which have been designed for their reduction of congestion, and pollution throughout Switzerland.

The idea was given a legal blessing when Switzerland ratified the act for underground freight movement in 2022. CST had intended for its first operational service between Zurich and Härkingen to commence by 2031, but that goal now seems uncertain due to the regulatory hold.

In spite of the delay, developers remain collaborating with federal agencies to perfecting technological solutions and being feasible projects alignment.

Experts believe that when logistics problems and groundwater problems are eliminated, CST would revolutionize Switzerland’s logistics industry with less carbon emission and effective freight delivery.

Source: www.railtech.com

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What is Cargo Sous Terrain?

Cargo Sous Terrain is a Swiss initiative to build an underground freight transport network using autonomous pods to move goods efficiently and sustainably.

Why was the Cargo Sous Terrain project halted?

The Swiss Federal Office of Transport paused the project because of groundwater, traffic, and excavation concerns that must be resolved before construction continues.

When will Cargo Sous Terrain begin operations?

The company initially planned operations by 2031 between Zurich and Härkingen, but delays linked to environmental and financial reviews may shift this timeline.

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