Outlook Port of Basel 2025
The Gateway Basel Nord logistics chain enables trucks, trains and ships to work in a cost-saving manner. The costs per shipment can be significantly reduced by bundling volumes and fast throughput times. Urgently needed capacity assurance The existing handling capacities are not sufficient to cope with the increase in container traffic. Existing facilities will even become obsolete. There are already signs of capacity bottlenecks in container handling at the Swiss Rhine ports. Basel Nord is the only truly trimodal terminal and the only possible location for an efficient connection of all three modes of transport: rail, Rhine and road. Location supported by the logistics industry In 2013, the Swiss logistics industry spoke out in favor of implementing a large trimodal terminal at the Basel Nord site. Sensible empty container logistics Gateway Basel Nord offers multiple daily connections to all regions of Switzerland for the cost-effective movement of empty containers and is also located directly on the Rhine and rail for repositioning along the Rhine and to the seaports. Trimodal connection to the world The Gateway Basel Nord site is ideally located to connect the terminal to road, rail and water freight transportation:
– Rail: NEAT main axis Rotterdam-Basel-Genoa via Gotthard Base Tunnel, 4-meter corridor
– Road: A2 highway, border terminal with German and Swiss customs
– Water: Rhine shipping with harbor basin 3
In September 2023, the Federal Office of Transport (FOT) granted planning permission for the first, bimodal construction stage of the gateway. The procedural documents already included a preview of the final state, including a nature conservation concept. Both the FOT and the Federal Office for the Environment confirmed in their decision that all legal requirements for realization had been met. Two nature conservation associations and a competitor (!) lodged an appeal against this with the Federal Administrative Court. The proceedings are ongoing – a conclusion is expected next year.
Gateway Basel Nord already received confirmation of co-financing from the federal government in 2018. This option has long been included in the Freight Transport Act and has been used for most terminals in Switzerland. A competitor lodged an appeal against the co-financing of Gateway Basel Nord with the Federal Administrative Court, which has since been upheld by the court several times due to formal procedural deficiencies, most recently in September 2023. Gateway Basel Nord has since resubmitted its application for co-financing to the FOT. Material reasons against co-financing by the federal government are nonsense and everyone is confident that the FOT will confirm it next year at the latest, i.e. in 2025.
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