Running Swiss Railways: Passengers and Freight Grow Again (cross-border guide)

Context

In a nutshell

• Passenger rail transport in Switzerland reached a new record in the second quarter.
• Travelers have traveled a total of 6.3 billion kilometers per person.
• The increase is 5.2% compared to the same period of the previous year.

Key facts

• What: New passenger rail transport record.
• When: Second quarter 2026.
• Where: Switzerland.
• Who: Litre.
• Amount: 6.3 billion kilometres per person.

Passenger rail transport in Switzerland reached a new record in the second quarter. Travellers travelled a total of 6.3 billion kilometres per person, an increase of 5.2% compared to the same period last year.

The railway sector in Switzerland is continuously growing, thanks also to investment in infrastructure modernisation and growth in demand for sustainable transport. According to data from the Federal Office of Communication (OFCOM), the number of passengers has increased by 12% in the last 5 years, with an increase in train frequency of more than 10% in 2022.

The growth is particularly evident in mountain regions, where railways represent an important alternative to private means of transport. In the Canton of Valais, for example, the number of passengers increased by 20% in 2022, thanks also to the opening of new rail lines connecting the valleys to the rest of Switzerland.

The growth of the railway sector

Operational details

The increase in passenger rail transport is due to the usual seasonal trend in demand. The spring season boosts the demand for rail transport, and this increase has been confirmed by the data. According to Litra, passenger rail transport in Switzerland is a positive trend and a strong attraction of public transport. According to data published by SBB, the number of passengers carried increased by 5.6% compared to the same period of the previous year. This increase has been recorded on several railway lines, including the Gotthard line, which connects the cantons of Bern and Ticino, and the Brenner line, which connects the cantons of Graubünden and Trent. Freight transport is also on the rise, thanks to increased demand for consumer and export goods. According to SBB data, the number of tons of goods transported increased by 7.2% compared to the same period of the previous year. This increase was recorded on several railway lines, including the Gotthard line and the Brenner line. The growth of rail transport is also due to increased investment in the rail network. In 2022, Switzerland invested 1.2 billion Swiss francs in the railway network, to improve safety and transport capacity. This investment has made it possible to increase the speed of trains and improve the quality of service. In addition, Switzerland has also invested in Federal Rail Transport Act of 27 March 1959 Federal Rail Transport Regulation of 23 October 1992 References to cities and cantons: City of Bern City of Lugano Canton of Graubünden Canton of Ticino

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Key points

Rail freight transport is also growing, with an increase of 2.2% compared to the same quarter of the previous year. This could indicate a slight stabilization of rail freight traffic. The data come from the quarterly report on railways and are based on surveys by Litra and the Association of Public Transport, in collaboration with the SBB. According to the data, passenger traffic increased by 3.5% compared to the same period of the previous year. This increase has been recorded in particular in the lines connecting the cities of Zurich, Bern and Geneva. In particular, the line connecting Zurich to Bern recorded an increase of 4.2% compared to the same period of the previous year. Passenger traffic growth was possible thanks to the investment of over 100 million Swiss francs (CHF) in the railway network. This investment has made it possible to improve the quality of services and increase the frequency of trains. In addition, the SBB has implemented new technologies to improve rail traffic management and reduce travel times. The growth of freight traffic has been recorded in particular in the lines connecting the cantons of the North-East, such as the Canton of Zurich and the Canton of Basel-City. In particular, the line connecting Zurich to Basel recorded an increase of 5.1% compared to the same period of the previous year. The growth in freight traffic was possible thanks to - Investment of more than CHF 100 million in the rail network to improve service quality and increase transport capacity - Investment of more than CHF 50 million in the rail network to improve service quality and increase transport capacity References to regulations and rules: - The Federal Rail Transport Act of 20 October 2005 (LTF) - The Federal Traffic Act of 20 December 2013 (Trafic) - The International Convention on Rail Transport of 9 May 1980 (CIV) Comparisons between practical scenarios: - The comparison between the growth of passenger and freight traffic in Switzerland and in other European countries - The comparison between SBB's transport capacity and that of other European rail companies - The comparison between SBB's service quality and that of other European rail companies