The Cargo Sous Terrain-CST working paper presents a forward-looking vision of a multimodal freight transport system that integrates rail, road, inland waterways, and urban logistics into a coherent, high-performance network. The core argument is clear: current freight systems are too fragmented, too road-dependent, and insufficiently aligned with sustainability and capacity constraints.
What does the future hold for Swiss transport policy? This question is highly relevant for CST as well. Over the past year, the organization has had to reposition itself after moving away from a single large-scale infrastructure project due to changing political conditions. This moment marked a reset, with a clear priority: returning CST to a more creative and solution-oriented mode. For more than a decade, CST has focused on customer needs in freight logistics, developing innovative concepts to extend system capacity beyond the limits of existing transport networks.
At the same time, the environment for major infrastructure investments has become more complex. Large-scale projects now require not only substantial funding, but also a stable regulatory framework, strong societal and political backing, and clearly demonstrated added value. In the case of the CST tunnel project, it became evident that these preconditions are not yet sufficiently in place.
Looking ahead, Swiss transport policy is expected to focus less on expanding infrastructure and more on making better use of what already exists. Key themes will be prioritization, financial feasibility, and efficiency gains within current networks. Budget constraints are tightening, while the urgency to act on congestion, sustainability, and reliability continues to grow.
This shift aligns with CST’s new strategic direction. Rather than pursuing capital-intensive megaprojects, the focus is now on developing scalable transport solutions that unlock underutilized capacity in the system. The emphasis is on smarter use of infrastructure, integration across modes, and innovations that can be implemented incrementally but deliver tangible improvements in performance and sustainability.
From Fragmentation to System Integration
Today’s freight transport system is largely dominated by road transport, especially in first- and last-mile logistics. While trucks offer flexibility, this dominance creates system inefficiencies, congestion, emissions, and infrastructure pressure. The report argues that a structural shift is required—from unimodal optimization to system-level coordination across modes.
A multimodal network enables goods to move seamlessly across different transport modes, with strategically located terminals that facilitate efficient cargo transfer. These intermodal nodes are not just physical infrastructures but critical control points in the logistics system, shaping flows, costs, and reliability.
Research on multimodal systems confirms that such terminals strongly influence overall system performance, as they enable switching between modes and help reduce total transport costs and congestion effects.
The Role of Intermodal Hubs
A central element of the CST concept is the development of a hierarchical network of logistics hubs:
- Primary hubs: large-scale terminals connecting international and long-distance freight corridors (rail, inland shipping)
- Secondary hubs: regional distribution centers linking long-haul transport with urban logistics
- Urban micro-hubs: facilities enabling zero-emission last-mile delivery
These hubs function as consolidation points, increasing load factors and enabling more efficient modal choices. However, their effectiveness depends heavily on location, accessibility, and coordination across actors.
The paper emphasizes that poorly designed or congested terminals can become bottlenecks, reducing the benefits of multimodality. Conversely, targeted investments in key nodes can deliver disproportionate economic benefits, including reduced transport costs and improved network resilience.
Digitalization and System Intelligence
A major theme in the report is the need for digital integration. Multimodal transport systems are inherently complex, involving multiple actors, modes, and decision layers. Without data sharing and real-time coordination, the theoretical benefits of multimodality cannot be realized.
The authors advocate for:
- Real-time data platforms for planning and routing
- Digital twins of logistics networks
- AI-supported decision-making for dynamic routing and consolidation
This aligns with broader developments in logistics, where digitalization enables synchromodal transport—flexible switching between modes based on real-time conditions such as congestion, capacity, or energy availability.
Sustainability and Energy Transition
A key driver behind multimodal freight networks is decarbonization. Rail and inland waterways offer significantly lower emissions per ton-kilometer compared to road transport. By shifting long-distance freight to these modes and combining this with zero-emission urban delivery, the system can drastically reduce its environmental footprint.
However, the report stresses that sustainability gains are not automatic. They depend on:
- Sufficient terminal capacity
- Reliable service levels across modes
- Policy alignment (pricing, regulation, incentives)
Without these conditions, logistics actors will continue to favor road transport due to its flexibility and reliability.
Governance and Coordination Challenges
Perhaps the most critical barrier identified is institutional fragmentation. Freight transport involves multiple stakeholders—logistics service providers, infrastructure managers, municipalities, and national governments—each with different incentives.
The transition to a multimodal system therefore, requires:
- Strong public-private collaboration
- Coordinated infrastructure investment strategies
- New governance models for shared logistics assets
The paper highlights that system optimization cannot be achieved through isolated interventions. Instead, it requires coordinated action across the entire logistics chain.
Key Takeaways for Practice
For logistics professionals and policymakers, the implications are clear:
- Think in networks, not modes: optimize the system, not individual vehicles.
- Invest in nodes, not just links: intermodal hubs are critical leverage points.
- Prioritize digital integration: data sharing is essential for coordination.
- Align policy and operations: incentives must support modal shift.
- Focus on reliability: without high service levels, multimodality will not scale.
The CST paper makes a compelling case that the future of freight lies in integrated, multimodal networks. The challenge is no longer technological—but organizational, spatial, and institutional.