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[quote user="martin.knoepfel"] 2006, rail-freight through the Swiss Alps increased by 6,5 % to 25,2 million tons. Strongest increase - 11,6% - is with "unaccompanied combined traffic" (COFC and trailers on well-cars). The so-called rolling highway (or accompanied combined traffic), where the railroad hauls tractors and trailers on cars with smaller wheels, increased by 4,3%. Transalpine freight on the highways decreased a little bit. The University of St.Gallen - which is focused on business and law - did a research on the cost-efficiency of the combined traffic between the areas of Duisburg and Milano in Western Germany and Northern Italy respectively. Both areas generate large amounts of freight, because they are heavily industrialized.Trains of the "unaccompanied combined traffic" and the rolling highway are both subidized by the tax-payers. 15 % of the cost to operate a train are subsidies. The money comes from gas-taxes and from a tax on heavyweights (i.e. trucks). The  necessary subsidies are 5800 Swiss Francs for each train of the rolling highway and 4000 francs for each container or trailer-train. Trains here in Europe are much shorter than in the US or in CDN. Heaviest train in Switzerland is a daily unit-clay-train from Limburg (Netherlands) to Domodossola (Northern Italy) over Lötschberg-Pass. It has up to 3200 tons. On the northern grade of the Lötschberg with a southbound ruling-grade of 2,6 % between Spiez and Kandersteg, the train is hauled in two sections. For the opposite direction, the train does not need to be split into several sections because the cars return empty. Finally, something for the railfans. Rail4Chem contracted with owners of two historic electric engines (Ae 4/7) to haul unit-tank-trains in Swiss domestic traffic. The Ae 4/7 have been built in the 1920s and 1930s and have four driving axles in rigid frames (4-8-2).   [/quote]If I understand this correctly, if 15% of the cost of operations are from cross-subsidization of road users, then of course the other 85% is produced via railroad user fees?
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