A report published by the Swiss Federal Office of Transport (BAV) says that more investment is needed in the maintenance of the country’s rail network.
The report, which was launched in 2014, has sought to identify some of the main factors which are leading to the deterioration of the network and put forward a number of possible solutions.
BAV suggested that over the last 20 to 25 years, the addition of new services, faster trains and heavier rolling stock has resulted in greater wear and damage to the infrastructure.
The situation has been made worse by insufficient inspection of the track condition and a lack of resources, according to the BAV.
Around CHF 7.6 billion (€6.95 billion) has been committed to railway maintenance between 2017 and 2020 – an increase of 15 per cent on the previous period.
Recommendations from the BAV include incorporating into service agreements with operators regular inspection regimes and long-term maintenance strategies, create incentives for operators to modify rolling stock to reduce impact on the infrastructure and work with operators to better analyse infrastructure costs.