Swissrail shares valuable insights at InnoTrans 2024

Swissrail is the Industry Association for the Rail and Mobility Industry in Switzerland, with around 150 members, active both in Switzerland and abroad. They claim a strong focus in export and aim to kick-start dialogues between their stakeholders in Switzerland and the rest of the world.

The Swissrail stand is what I can only call impressive, because it’s three floors and the top floor is a sit-down restaurant! There’s a fantastic community of Swiss rail companies and groups on the ground floor, all interacting with each other and the visitors here at the show. How have you found InnoTrans 2024 so far?

InnoTrans is such an important event, offering a worldwide view on innovation and exchange. We at Swissail offer a platform for 46 companies to present their products and innovations. We believe this makes it easier for customer to approach these companies in an open, welcoming Swiss-style setting.

Of course, the restaurant as an important meeting point is of course essential. It’s not about only content and technical discussions, but we also need a good social exchange, having a quiet moment. The restaurant here is great for those quieter moments to network and connect.

We have a long history in InnoTrans at Swissrail and we are continually growing as more and more companies want to join us. I think it’s a good sign.

There has been a strong focus this year on working together, looking outside the box at other modes of transport to try learning from them. But what do you think is the biggest challenge facing rail going into 2025?

The biggest challenge is the increasing complexity of the railway system, which is not easy to manage. As you just said, collaboration is essential. We need more dialogue, to truly understand each other. That means operators, authorities, and industry must work more closely, moving beyond the traditional tender supplier relationships. And I think that’s probably the biggest challenge we have at the moment. As an association we play a very important role in fostering such open dialogues and collaborative approaches. Absolutely.

What’s the next big project for Swissrail?

We have four main subject areas we focus on, including services vehicles, safety and automation, as well as infrastructure.

Each of these four subject areas host significant projects. For example, in the vehicles sector, we are strongly focused on digital automatic coupling (DAC) for cargo.  This technology is essential to make rail cargo more competitive with road mobility, particularly in Switzerland. It’s a critical topic where we’re working to coordinate efforts across industries, authorities, and operators.

In services, we are developing a comprehensive mobility development for the future. This requires a clear vision of the needs up to 2050. The involvement of the industry is essential to ensure a sustainable future offering.

In safety and automation, we’re closely engaged with implementing ERTMS (European Rail Traffic Management System) throughout Switzerland, which involves tight coordination across multiple stages to ensure smooth integration.

Finally, with infrastructure, our focus is on cost reduction. Maintaining our rail network and infrastructure is increasingly expensive, and we aim to prevent the challenges other countries have faced in this area. In Switzerland, we must be proactive to maintain high standards without incurring unsustainable costs.

Has there been anything going on at InnoTrans 2024 that’s really inspired you?

What’s truly inspired me this year is the focus on meaningful content. In the past, InnoTrans was largely about networking and socializing, but now I see more and more companies delivering presentations and sharing valuable insights.

The most inspiring thing here, in my view, is the enthusiasm for learning—people are eager to gain new knowledge and, equally important, are willing to share information openly. I think this openness is essential for the future. We need more transparent interfaces, collaborative approaches, and shared insights to navigate increasing complexity. This year at InnoTrans, I’ve really felt a shift toward that spirit of openness and collaboration for the first time.