Success Stories with SBB

For around a year, SBB and Swissrail have been working together under a newly structured collaboration model. The aim of this dialogue is to create tangible added value for both infrastructure operators and the rail industry. A strong rail supply industry is essential to ensure that Switzerland can maintain the high quality of its rail system in the long term. Close and coordinated cooperation ultimately benefits the entire sector, including its customers.

The collaboration between SBB and Swissrail is based on the principle that joint projects should deliver clear benefits for both parties. At the same time, overarching industry topics, such as reducing system costs, are consistently taken into account. Successfully implementing shared initiatives also strengthens the partnership culture within the rail and mobility sector. The structured dialogue takes place on three levels: executive, strategic and operational. Once a year, SBB's Executive Board and the Swissrail Board discuss overarching topics such as cooperation in digital transformation. Twice a year, ongoing projects are reviewed and new initiatives are launched at the strategic level. Practical implementation then takes place through operational working groups involving experts in infrastructure, rolling stock, services, signalling & automation, as well as cross-sector topics.

After just one year, this approach has already proven successful, with more than ten joint initiatives implemented. The following five examples illustrate the value of the collaboration.

Infrastructure Roadmap – During a joint workshop between SBB and the Swissrail Board in 2023, infrastructure planning was identified as a priority area. The industry benefits from greater visibility of upcoming procurement projects, allowing companies to plan resources early and prepare for future opportunities. In turn, SBB Infrastructure benefits from receiving a higher number of high-quality bids, ultimately strengthening project outcomes and the overall infrastructure system. As a result of this collaboration, since the beginning of 2026 SBB Infrastructure has been publishing a semi-annual procurement outlook covering construction, technology, materials and services with an 18-month planning horizon.

Swiss ERTMS Implementation Concept – Through a series of workshops, Swissrail, SBB and the other interoperable railway companies jointly discussed the risks and key action areas of the Swiss FSS implementation concept while incorporating the industry's perspective. The FSS implementation concept is a key component of Switzerland's ERTMS strategy and can only succeed through close cooperation between authorities, railway operators and industry. On 8 January, the Federal Office of Transport (FOT) officially approved the concept.

Joint Presence during Inbound Missions – Switzerland is internationally recognised as a leading railway nation. Trains achieve a punctuality rate of 94.1%, one in six people uses public transport every day, around 160,000 tonnes of freight are transported by rail daily and approximately CHF 6 billion is invested annually in rail infrastructure. International visitors can experience these strengths first-hand during visits to Switzerland. At the same time, the Swiss rail system benefits from the industry's international success, as the knowledge, innovation and system expertise gained abroad are fed back into the domestic railway sector. For this reason, SBB and the Swiss rail industry present themselves jointly during inbound missions and have already welcomed delegations from India, Chile and Brazil.

RailCC Signalling Industry Workshop – Before launching the tender for the new RailCC signalling control system, SBB and Swissrail organised a joint workshop with industry partners. The objective was to identify key issues and potential challenges at an early stage. This open exchange demonstrates how transparency and collaboration can support complex transformation projects. The workshop results were jointly published by SBB and Swissrail and made available to the entire industry.

SBB Supplier Process Update – During a joint webinar, SBB informed suppliers about current developments in procurement and supplier processes. Topics included the SAP Business Network, requirements for invoices and order confirmations, new procurement procedures, and automation and efficiency improvements. This format demonstrates how early communication increases transparency, clarifies questions and enables new processes to be implemented efficiently, while also improving planning certainty for suppliers.

These examples demonstrate the value that the structured collaboration between SBB and Swissrail creates for the entire rail sector. It enables challenges and potential cost drivers to be identified at an early stage, supports transparent communication of strategies and process improvements, and continuously strengthens the partnership between operators and industry. We would like to thank everyone involved for their strong commitment and look forward to many more joint projects.

This article 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.