Switzerland is a rich and progressive country. The roads here are stressed every day by the large amount of cargo being transported on them. Cargo Sous Terrain (CST) will be a big relief for road traffic. This is a project of an autonomous underground freight system. It is an underground tunnel network that will transport cargo in shipping containers on a self-loading rail system.
A spectacular underground freight transport project has already begun
This underground cargo system will begin with a 46-mile (70 kilometer) stretch between Zurich and a major logistics hub in Härkingen/Niederbipp. It could grow to as many as 310 miles of tunnels (500 km) connecting all the Swiss cantons. On August 1, the first stages of construction planning began, and this system should start operating as early as 2031.
What will this system look like?
Each tunnel will have a diameter of around 6 m, and a flat floor divided into three lanes. Along these lanes, platoons of small cargo pods will travel at speeds around 30 km/h. Individual capsules will be powered by separate electric motors.
Their size will be large enough to fit two pallets. The capsules will be customized for the cargo they will carry, some capsules may be equipped with a cooling system, for example, to be able to carry food.
Pods will be loaded up at above-ground logistics facilities, then lowered down to on/off-ramp sections of the tunnel system on elevators.
The project will be powered by renewable energy and can take 40% of all freight traffic off the roads. The section between Zurich and Härkingen/Niederbipp will cost around 3 billion dollars. No subsidies will be used for the construction of CST, the project is financed from private sources.
This project will not have any negative impact on the lives of ordinary citizens, it is silent and practically invisible because it is underground.
This is a brilliant project that could become an inspiration for other countries as well. It is a much more sober and simpler solution than the Hyperloop project that Elon Musk came up with. If this system were to spread around the world, it would mean that we would not have to stand in traffic jams all the time and the roads would not be damaged as often. Get inspired by the video below:
Credit: Cargo Sous Terrain
