Interview with Linus Looser: Strengthening Collaboration Through Genuine Partnerships and Alliance Models

Linus Looser, Member of the Executive Board and, since 1 June 2025, Head of Infrastructure at SBB, succeeding Peter Kummer.

Mr Looser, you have been leading SBB Infrastructure since 1 June 2025 – at a time when Switzerland's rail network is more heavily used and more punctual than ever before, while also facing considerable financial pressure. How do you assess the current situation?

Punctuality is at an all-time high – a great achievement for Switzerland's integrated rail system. We have improved coordination in planning despite carrying 1.4 million passengers and managing around 20,000 construction sites across the network. However, the heavy utilisation of the network combined with insufficient funding for renewals is causing our infrastructure to age.

"The heavy utilisation of the network and insufficient funding for renewals are causing our infrastructure to age."

As a result, the backlog in asset renewal has grown to around CHF 9.5 billion. Without countermeasures, the need for short-term, unplanned – and therefore more expensive – maintenance will continue to increase. The rail network is like a set of teeth: without daily care, small issues quickly turn into costly repairs.

The recently published Network Condition Report 2025 shows that at least 230 kilometres of track need to be renewed each year to ensure long-term network quality. Last year, only 186 kilometres were renewed. What is needed to consistently reach this target?

Several measures are required. We have launched a dedicated track renewal programme aimed at reducing renewal costs per metre, allowing us to achieve more with the existing budget. At the same time, we need sufficient possession windows – periods during which construction work can be carried out efficiently. Last year we gained valuable experience with the complete closure of the Bern–Fribourg line.

Around CHF 6 billion flows annually into the Swiss Rail Infrastructure Fund (BIF) to finance operation, maintenance and expansion. According to SBB, a funding gap is expected in the future. Why is the current funding no longer sufficient?

SBB receives around CHF 3 billion annually: CHF 2 billion for maintenance and CHF 1 billion for expansion. As the network becomes increasingly intensively used, maintenance and renewal requirements also increase. Combined with the existing backlog, overall funding needs continue to rise. At the same time, construction projects have become significantly more complex.

"Digitalisation of the rail network is one of the key factors for future success."

Standards continue to evolve, environmental requirements have become more demanding, expectations regarding timetable stability have increased, and more construction work together with additional night trains reduce the available maintenance windows. Inflation has also presented major challenges in recent years.

What can SBB, Swissrail and the rail industry do together to further improve network performance without placing even greater strain on the infrastructure? And how can long-term maintenance be secured?

I firmly believe that we must develop solutions together. I am also convinced that digitalisation is one of the biggest success factors for the future of the rail network. It enables us to create additional capacity on the existing infrastructure. At the same time, we will increasingly invest in so-called clustering: whenever work is carried out on a section of line, we aim to combine as many maintenance activities as possible, even if some of them are not yet strictly due. This reduces operational disruptions, improves resource utilisation and increases cost efficiency.

What are your three main priorities for the coming years as Head of Infrastructure at SBB?

Our objective is to provide an efficient and effective infrastructure that contributes to an attractive, high-performing and future-proof railway system. This creates the foundation for rail to continue playing a central role in Switzerland's mobility.

A second priority is securing sufficient funding for preserving the existing railway infrastructure. Only then can we stabilise the current renewal backlog and safeguard long-term network performance.

Thirdly, we want to consistently drive forward the digitalisation of the rail network. Modern digital technologies enable us to operate infrastructure more efficiently, make better use of capacity and further improve reliability.

Finally, what would you like to see from Swissrail members over the coming years?

I hope we continue strengthening our collaboration through genuine partnerships and alliance models. Together, we can shape the future of rail and successfully address the challenges ahead.

This also includes greater standardisation and fewer proprietary solutions so that we can operate more efficiently and simplify the overall system. At the same time, we should make digitalisation a flagship joint initiative and work together to ensure that enough qualified professionals are available for our industry.

Thank you very much for the interview.

This interview is taken from the latest edition of the express. You can read the full magazine here.

Note on the translation: this text was translated using AI and checked by us. If you find any mistakes or something that is not clear, please let us know.