SBB Infrastruktur is the division of Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) that manages the company’s rail network. It develops the timetable, controls train traffic and provides the track, energy and telecom networks used by SBB and other operators.
SBB Infrastruktur is one of the operating divisions of the parent company SBB AG. It has around 10,000 employees and runs traffic from four train-control centres.
The network carries 1.25 million passengers and 250,000 tonnes of goods a day. Around 600 sidings connect industrial sites and logistics centres directly to it.
As infrastructure manager, SBB Infrastruktur concludes a track access agreement with each operator, which also needs a safety certificate from the Federal Office of Transport. Since 1 January 2021 train paths have been allocated by the Swiss train path allocation agency (TVS), an independent federal body, which keeps capacity decisions outside the integrated SBB group.
Funding and network condition
Switzerland finances the operation, maintenance and expansion of its rail network through the Rail Infrastructure Fund (BIF), approved in a referendum on 9 February 2014. The federal government covers the planned uncovered costs of operation and maintenance through four-year performance agreements with the infrastructure managers, currently for 2025–2028.
Across all Swiss infrastructure managers, this funding amounts to around CHF 3.5bn a year. Investment in maintaining the existing network takes priority over expansion.
SBB’s network condition report for 2025 rated the network 2.8 on a scale of one to five, described as good to adequate, with assets worth CHF 132bn at replacement value. The maintenance backlog grew 12% to CHF 9.5bn, and SBB renewed 186 km of track against the 230 km a year it considers necessary.