Vincent Ducrot, CEO of Swiss Federal Railways.
Keystone / Alessandro Della Valle
Vincent Ducrot, CEO of Swiss Federal Railways, received death threats after awarding the German group Siemens an order for 116 new double-decker trains worth CHF2.1 billion ($2.6 billion), to the detriment of the Swiss railway manufacturer Stadler, according to SonntagsBlick newspaper.
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People speaking on condition of anonymity have accused Ducrot of treason, which necessitated close protection of the rail official for several days, SonntagsBlickExternal link wrote on Sunday.
Federal Railways told the paper that it was taking these reactions seriously, without providing further details. “The position of CEO of Swiss Federal Railways is a high-profile one, like those of other business leaders or politicians. We see this when controversial decisions are made,” the company said.
The Federal Office of Police (fedpol) said it was adapting protection measures according to the situation, but is not commenting on the matter, for security reasons.
Special protection
It is highly unusual for a Federal Railways director to require personal protection, according to SonntagsBlick. The paper said the last person to receive such protection was Andreas Meyer, Ducrot’s predecessor, in 2008. He received death threats due to the planned closure of the Federal Railways’ Cargo workshops in Bellinzona in canton Ticino.
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Stadler Rail plans to appeal Siemens’ big Swiss rail contract
For its part, Stadler Rail, sidelined in favour of its German competitor, said a week ago that it was considering appealing against the decision.
Translated from French by DeepL/sb
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