In 2023, freight traffic through the Swiss Alps is decreased by -4.7% as almost 37.0 million passengers transited tonnes compared to 28.8 million tonnes in the previous year, a decrease in the which was mainly generated by the contraction of the rail traffic, which amounted to 26.6 million tonnes (-5.9%), which has been more pronounced than the reduction in the -1.4% of goods transported by road, to 10.4 million of tons. The Swiss Federal Office of Transport has specified that the decrease in rail traffic is mainly due to the economic situation in Europe caused by the war in Ukraine, the energy crisis and the supply chain issues, in addition to the also the still poor reliability of the railway lines due in particular to the numerous construction sites on the north-south axis, while the impact of the partial closure of the Gotthard Base Tunnel following the accident of the 10 August, which had virtually no impact on the volume of goods transported, with freight trains being diverted on the Lötschberg-Simplon axis and on the Gotthard Mountain.

Last year, the number of lorries travelling through the Swiss Alps was 916 thousand (-1.2%), a number again below the target of 650,000 heavy vehicles to be removed on these arterial roads as part of Switzerland's policy of transferring the freight traffic from road to rail. Rail that in 2023 reduced its share of total traffic having fallen from 73.9% in 2022 to 72.0%.

With regard to the development of freight traffic between the the first and second half of 2023, in the first half of 2023 of the year, with 463,000 trucks passing through, heavy vehicles are decreased by -2.6% over the same period of 2022 with a corresponding -2.7% decrease in transported cargoes, down to 5.2 million tonnes, while in the following six months, with 453 thousand vehicles road traffic grew by +0.2% and There was also an increase in the number of goods transported by truck, which totalled 5.1 million tonnes (+0.1%). In the first half of 2023 Freight transported by rail, at 14.0 million tonnes, was decreased by -5.5% and in the second half, with 12.6 million tonnes, fell by -6.2%.

In 2023 as a whole, rail freight traffic is decreased, both in wagonload traffic alone and in the unaccompanied combined transport, while the rolling motorway (RoLa) has experienced growth. In particular, and transport unaccompanied, with 19.0 million tonnes, a reduction of -7.1% and wagonload transport, with almost 6.3 million tonnes, decreased by -5.5%. The Last year, the rolling highway scored more than 1.3 million tonnes, with an increase of +12.7% which - explained the Federal Office - was determined by the low volume transported in the previous year as a result of the measures taken in Italy, and applied until 2022, to contain the pandemic of Covid-19.