Passenger Traffic
Swiss people are a nation of train riders. Public support for rail transport is correspondingly broad. The federal government finances passenger transport where it is not self-sustaining.
Switzerland has an attractive railway system. Passenger trains operate either every quarter of an hour, every half an hour or every hour. The major train stations have good changing connections. The average Swiss uses the railway around 70 times each year, travelling about 2,400 kilometres – a record in Europe.
Long-distance travel is financially self-supporting. For regional transport the FOT, together with the cantons, commissions public transport routes and services, for example for regional rail travel, and finances the scheduled deficit costs. This applies not only to rail travel, but also to regional transport by bus, cable railway and travel by boat. Like other transport carriers, all commercial traffic by rail requires a licence from the FOT.
International Passenger Transport
In international passenger transport, services are classified as long-distance, regional, or local.
Regional Passenger Transport
The federal government orders and finances the regional passenger transport together with the cantons.
Federal Office of Transport FOT
Mühlestrasse 6
3063 Ittigen