Switzerland : research on railway competition : national report

This report of the project RailCo presents experiences with competition in the railway network of Switzerland. Swiss railways do not yet know much competition, but the Swiss example is interesting in this context, because of the large number of railway companies, that have cooperated for a long period of time, sharing the use of infrastructures, and have established a system reputed for its co-ordination. Concerns about the efficiency of the Swiss passenger teransport have recently triggered a reform of the legal and regulatory framework, and further reforms are planned for the coming years. It gives an overview of the regulatory framework, its evolution towards the current situation and the coming reform. Two case studies are described, one illustrating the tendering of a line and the other illustrating the consequences of the regionalisation of the subsidisation of the regional railway services in the Canton of Bern.