A disused German rail yard faces a choice: become a cargo hub or preserve its rich biodiversity as a wildlife corridor.
Increasingly, climate protection and nature conservation are being pitted against each other in major infrastructure projects. This is also the case with the disused German shunting yard in Basel. As one of the largest and most species-rich dry habitats in the Swiss Plateau, it serves as a vital corridor for many species between Germany and Switzerland. But now, plans are underway to build an important hub for containers and goods, improving the climate footprint of the Swiss cargo system. What should the old railway yard become in the future: a hub for cargo, or a hub for wildlife and plants?
