Robert Vesco:
Right. Now doubt, had Swiss opted for LH, most of this political show-down would have been stopped within a few weeks´time!
Also, this whole business must be seen as only a tiny part of a major EU-Switzerland controversy on traffic flows and environmental impact etc. The latest issue in line is - believe it or not - the future routing of freight trains into Switzerland and Italy. There are plans (and some agreements have already been achieved) to have them routed on the right (northern) side of the Rhine, i.e. on German territory, due to capacity problems in Basle. As you may guess, much to the "delight" of the German communities along the border. Now you are talking about 24 hrs of noise! Under these (new) circumstances the villages and towns concerned will remain adamant regarding the north approaches into ZRH. It all mingles together....