Press releases
08.12.2025
RailCom dismisses appeal against TVS ruling
In 2024, a passenger railway undertaking appealed to RailCom against a ruling by the Swiss Capacity Allocation Body (TVS) on train path allocation for 2025. This undertaking (the appellant) challenged TVS’s partial refusal of its application for train paths. TVS had instead allocated the paths in question to another company (the respondent), which intended to use them for freight services. Following a thorough review, RailCom dismissed the appeal in its decision of 24 October 2025.
25.04.2025
RailCom promotes participation in the rail sector
The Rail Transport Commission RailCom publishes its activity report today, in which it emphasises the importance of participation to ensure fair access to the rail network. It also reports on its ongoing proceedings and on its new chair, Dr Barbara Furrer, who has taken over from Patrizia Danioth Halter.
27.02.2025
The Federal Council elected Ferruccio Bianchi as a new member of RailCom
This press release is available in German, French and Italian.
29.08.2024
Federal Council elects new Rail Transport Commission RailCom president
On 27 August 2024, the Federal Council elected Dr Barbara Furrer, Hedingen, as the new President of RailCom at the request of DETEC. She will take over the role from Patrizia Danioth Halter, Altdorf, who has headed RailCom successfully and with great commitment for the past 12 years.
30.04.2024
Güterverkehr und Mobilitätsdaten im Fokus der RailCom
This media release is available in German, French and Italian.
24.11.2023
Bundesrat wählt Mitglieder der RailCom für Amtsdauer 2024 – 2027
This media release is available in German, French and Italian.
02.05.2023
Report on the activities 2021
This press release is available in German, French and Italian.
03.05.2022
RailCom focuses on interval planning and pricing and discounts at intermodal freight terminals co-financed by the Confederation
The Rail Transport Commission RailCom is committed to ensuring non-discriminatory interval planning. It focuses on ensuring fair pricing and discounts at intermodal freight terminal co-financed by the Confederation. RailCom explains these and other topics in its activity report published today.
04.05.2021
RailCom exercises new responsibilities
The Rail Transport Commission RailCom today published its 2020 Activity Report. In the report it sets out how it is exercising the new responsibilities acquired through the legislative package on Rail Infrastructure Organisation (RIO). In a first step, RailCom has focused on prime contracting in the field rail infrastructure and on participation rights in investment planning by infrastructure operators. In terms of market monitoring, RailCom has prioritised the ancillary service ‘Stabling of railway vehicles’.
30.06.2020
RailCom – new name and new responsibilities
From 1 July 2020, the Railways Arbitration Commission RACO will be known as the Rail Transport Commission RailCom. The entry into force of the “Rail Infrastructure Organisation (RIO)” bill means that RailCom will acquire additional responsibilities as well as a new name. As a result, RailCom will therefore see an expansion of its supervisory activities as regards non-discriminatory access to the Swiss rail network.
25.05.2020
Dialogue for fair access to the rail network
In its activity report published today, the Railways Arbitration Commission (RACO) shows how it is using proactive market supervision to ensure non-discriminatory access to the rail network for all railway undertakings. In constant dialogue with the railway industry, RACO endeavours to identify potential discrimination between infrastructure managers and railway undertakings at an early stage and to find solutions together with the relevant stakeholders.
29.11.2019
Federal Council appoints members of Railways Arbitration Commission for period 2020 - 2023
On Wednesday, the Federal Council appointed the members of the Railways Arbitration Commission (RACO) for the period 2020 – 2023. Anna Ciaranfi Zanetta, a legal expert from Dalpe (TI), was newly appointed to the Commission. The Federal Council reappointed Commission chair Patrizia Danioth Halter and four further members.
04.06.2019
2018 Activities Report - an active and successful year for RACO
The Railways Arbitration Commission (RACO) looks back on an active and successful year. It continued its ongoing supervision to ensure non-discriminatory access to the railway network and immersed itself in the area of intermodal freight terminals. At the international level it produced a comparative study on incident management by the national infrastructure managers (IMs) in Holland, Germany, Belgium and Switzerland. In 2018 notifications and complaints were submitted to RACO. The procedures have not been concluded by the end of 2018.
05.03.2019
Bundesrat wählt Giuliano Montanaro als neues Mitglied der Schiedskommission im Eisenbahnverkehr
Der Bundesrat hat Herrn Giuliano Montanaro, Ing. civil dipl. EPF/SIA, als neues Mitglied in die Schiedskommission im Eisenbahnverkehr (SKE) gewählt. Herr Montanaro folgt auf Dr. Yves Putallaz, der per 31.12.2018 aus der Kommission ausgetreten ist, nachdem er vom Kanton Wallis zum Verwaltungsrat der RegionAlps AG bestimmt wurde.
14.06.2018
Les manœuvres particulières à la gare de triage de Chiasso peuvent être facturées
La CACF a rejeté la plainte d’une entreprise de transport ferroviaire. Le gestionnaire de l’infrastructure est en droit de facturer à l’entreprise les coûts des manœuvres dites particulières. La décision est entrée en force.
01.06.2018
RACO Annual report 2017: all proceedings legally concluded
The Railways Arbitration Commission (RACO) can look back on a successful year. Not only did it conclude all its investigations and complaints proceedings, but it also gave impetus to developments in the rail market. At international level, RACO initiated a project to promote cross-border cooperation between infrastructure managers (IMs) during emergencies on the Rail Freight Corridor.
02.08.2017
New relative consumption values for power used in freight transport
Infrastructure managers need to alter their relative consumption values for power for the 2019 timetable year. The Railways Arbitration Commission (RACO) has set out distinctions in the previous flat rates for power.
26.06.2017
RACO clarifies obligations regarding costs in the case of line closures
Infrastructure managers need to reassess cost distribution for line closures in recent years. The Railways Arbitration Commission (RACO) has recently issued a ruling which clarifies the basic principles regarding costs incurred in the event of line closures.
16.06.2017
RACO Activity Report 2016
The Swiss Federal Administrative Court confirmed RACO’s powers to decree measures to be taken as part of proactive market surveillance. RACO put into practice the new tasks it has received under the completely overhauled Goods Carriage Act.
10.02.2017
Changes in calculating energy prices in rail transport
After mediation by the Railways Arbitration Commission (RACO), infrastructure managers have dropped the price of power for long-distance freight trains, effective from the 2017 annual timetable. RACO has issued the corresponding decree to approve this effort by the industry to set energy prices in line with the law.
17.06.2016
RACO Activity Report 2015: Increasing supervisory complexity – RACO’s professional standing raised
For the Railways Arbitration Commission (RACO), the year under review was marked by a moderate increase in topics for investigation, and the reorganisation of the specialist secretariat.
03.07.2015
RACO is exercising its new competencies
The 2014 reporting year was the first in which the Railways Arbitration Commission (RACO) was able to exercise its new competencies and thus carry out an actual function in terms of competition.
