Swiss RailCom seeks fair and transparent slot management

The Swiss Commission for Railway Traffic RailCom proactively supports the industry in implementing its legal obligations. In its activity report published today, RailCom outlines the topics that were its focus in 2022. These include slot and capacity management of the federally co-financed transshipment facilities of combined transport, the management of free loading facilities, and the system task of customer information.

(Bern) As a supervisory authority, RailCom does not limit itself to checking whether companies comply with the legal requirements within its jurisdiction. Rather, it actively accompanies the industry in fulfilling its obligations and engages early in new developments. In 2022, RailCom also conducted a survey of freight railway companies for the first time to gather their assessments and concerns. To continue the exchange, RailCom is introducing a “Round Table.” In its activity report published today, RailCom demonstrates how it proactively supported the industry in 2022. This includes, among other things, the following three topics.

RailCom defined uniform standards for fair and transparent slot and capacity management at the federally co-financed transshipment facilities of combined transport and discussed this topic with the industry at its annual specialist conference. This involves the allocation of time slots for the use of these facilities as well as the handling of deviations and conflicts that may arise. The owners or operators of these facilities are obliged to provide non-discriminatory access to their facilities. RailCom supports them in complying with this legal obligation by providing them with a template to publish the key principles and rules for planning and allocating slots. This aims to ensure that all customers are aware of the applicable rules and are treated equally.

More Transparency in Free Loading

RailCom developed a package of measures for the non-discriminatory management of free loading facilities. These facilities are primarily used by freight railway companies and serve, for example, the loading and unloading of wood, sugar beets, or bulk goods. They are part of the railway infrastructure and are subject to non-discriminatory network access. The package of measures includes, among other things, that the infrastructure operators publish the technical-operational characteristics of all usable facilities. This ensures greater transparency and also facilitates access to the facilities for new customers.

Coordinated Information

The goal of the system task of customer information is to provide public transport customers with current, complete, and coordinated information throughout the entire travel chain. As part of the accompanying supervision, RailCom supports the system leader in fulfilling this task non-discriminatorily by appropriately involving all affected companies. To provide more uniform information in the future about timetables, stops, service interruptions, and delays, the Federal Office of Transport, together with Alliance Swiss Pass, is steering the new Customer Information Commission. RailCom engaged early in this development.

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