Under the terms of bilateral agreements that Switzerland concluded with the European Union in December 2024, foreign transport companies will be able to run train services in Switzerland, and vice-versa.
Until now, only a few foreign trains, including those operated by Trenitalia, TGV Lyria, and Deutsche Bahn, could already operate in Swiss territory (though the latter saw some of its trains suspended due to chronic delays affecting Switzerland’s own schedule).
READ ALSO: Switzerland suspends Deutsche Bahn trains due to chronic delays
While it is not yet known which (or when) other foreign operators will take advantage of this opening, on May 14th the Federal Council has set directives on how the new system will be rolled out in Switzerland.
Under these directives, foreign trains will not be able to criss-cross the width of Switzerland (such as it is), without following certain rules, the Federal Council announced.
What are these regulations?
Capacity
One potential hurdle of the new system is overcrowding.
Swiss tracks must be shared by regional and freight lines and are therefore already at full capacity, so additional trains would require a serious re-organisation of existing rail traffic.
Therefore, European railway companies may only operate Swiss-bound trains if network capacity in Switzerland allows it.
This means that foreign trains must not affect the regular passenger or freight timetable of the national operator, SBB.
Ticketing
European railway companies that operate on Swiss soil may be required to apply the Swiss fare system — for instance, by recognising SBB’s general season ticket and the half-fare ticket.
Pay, work, and social conditions
European railways that wish to offer services in Switzerland are required to comply with the Swiss legislation on working hours, vacations, as well as social benefits; they must also pay industry-standard wages on Swiss sections of the route.
Additionally, the Federal Office of Transport (FOT) will monitor the compliance with these provisions and impose (as yet undefined) sanctions on violations.
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Will the opening of borders to rail traffic benefit Switzerland as well?
Possibly not within Switzerland itself, but the SBB will expand its own field of operation by being able to operate in foreign countries.
To remain competitive on the international market, the SBB wants to introduce new, high-speed trains to connect Swiss and foreign cities.
Switzerland’s national operator wants to reach lucrative tourist destinations such as Rome, Barcelona, and even the planned route to London, more quickly and efficiently than by relying on foreign rail companies.
Overall, the SBB “wants to offer better connections abroad,” according to Véronique Stephan, Director of Passenger Traffic at SBB.
With that goal in mind, the SBB is planning to buy or lease up to 40 super-fast trains, spending an estimated 1 billion francs for this project.
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But this will not be without challenges
To stay the right track — both literally and figuratively — the SBB will have to overcome challenges abroad.
To begin with, other nations must repair and upgrade their rail networks, Stephan pointed out.
“We need better infrastructure in surrounding countries,” she pointed out.
For instance, the SBB would like to have better connections from Zurich to Munich.
“But the current infrastructure [in Germany] does not allow us to travel faster or more frequently on this route,” according to Stephan.
