The Swiss approach to traffic management optimisation

Switzerland has one of the busiest railway networks in the world. Every day approximately 10,767 trains run on SBB’s 3,230km of track – equivalent to 103.1 trains per main track. They ferry more than a million people and 200,000 tonnes of freight to their destinations. The continuous expansion of railway services and the growing demand for freight transport are leading to ever greater traffic densities. Following the opening of the Gotthard Base Tunnel on schedule in December 2016, passenger numbers on the north-south axis have also increased by approximately 30%. At the same time, SBB also launched ’WLV 2017’ – a regular-interval timetable for wagonload freight – throughout Switzerland. SBB Cargo is now adapting to the faster pace of logistics operations and currently serves some locations as many as three times a day, rather than just once as before.