A new Swiss initiative seeks to tilt travel away from planes and towards rail. Launched by actif-trafiC and backed by a coalition of campaign groups and political parties, it proposes a levy on airline tickets and private jet travel to fund public transport and expand cross-border rail links.
The logic is straightforward: flying is too cheap and the price does not reflect the environmental costs. That, argues Rolf Wüstenhagen of the University of St. Gallen, distorts the market and inflates demand.
The proposal would raise roughly CHF 1.5bn ($1.6bn) a year. At least two-thirds would be returned to residents as “mobility vouchers”, redeemable on local, national and international public transport. The rest—up to CHF 500m—would fund improved rail links to neighbouring countries, including routes such as St Gallen–Munich, Geneva–Lyon and Lugano–Milan, as well as more ambitious direct connections to cities like London and Barcelona.
Supporters argue the scheme would reverse a long-standing imbalance. Train travel is often more expensive than flying, despite being far cleaner. Ticket prices for public transport have roughly doubled since 1990, and further increases are planned. By redistributing the proceeds of an aviation levy, the initiative aims to make rail more competitive.
Yet the proposal appears to be as much about re-distributive taxation as it is about incentives. Where trains and planes are close substitutes—say, between Zurich and Berlin—higher airfares may nudge travellers towards rail. On long-haul routes, such as Zurich to New York, the effect is different. With no realistic rail alternative, the levy looks less like a behavioural nudge than a straightforward tax on flying.
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actif-trafiC press release (in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now
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