SWISS Federal Railways’ (SBB) appealed the Swiss Federal Transport Office’s (BAV) decision to award BLS, Switzerland’s second biggest railway, two long-distance passenger service concessions on July 16, arguing proposed changes “must be clarified legally”.

STADLER held a groundbreaking ceremony at St Margrethen in eastern Switzerland on July 4 to mark the start of construction on an SFr 86m ($US 86m) rolling stock plant, which will take over production of Kiss double-deck EMUs from the company’s plant in nearby Altenrhein.

SWISS Federal Railways (SBB) has launched work on a SFr 4.4m ($US 4.4m) maintenance hall for passenger trains in Brig with a ground breaking ceremony on June 26.

BLS, Switzerland’s second biggest railway, announced on June 21 it has decided to accept the two concessions it has been awarded by the Swiss Federal Transport Office (BAV), and will not appeal the decision not to grant it a further three concessions.

SWITZERLAND’s Lugano Railways (FLP) has awarded Stadler a SFr 47m ($US 47.3m) contract to supply nine low-floor tram-trains as part of a major expansion of its Lugano - Ponte Tresa line services to cope with a 70% increase in ridership over the past 10 years to 2.5 million passengers a year.

STADLER is entering the signalling business through a joint venture with Mermec, Italy, with the Swiss company saying it is already running field tests and has started the approval process in Switzerland.

STADLER says it has recovered from the negative effects of the Swiss franc shock, with turnover at Stadler Rail returning to approximately the same level as before the Swiss National Bank’s unexpected decision to scrap its currency cap of SFr 1.20 per euro in January 2015.

SWITZERLAND’s Federal Office of Transport (BAV) announced on June 12 that it will award a concession to run almost the entire Swiss inter-city network to the current operator, Swiss Federal Railways (SBB), with effect from 2019, with just two inter-regional lines - Bern - Biel and Bern - Burgdorf - Olten going to BLS.

THE European alliance of new rail entrants, AllRail, is calling on the Swiss government to open the domestic passenger rail market to competition.

STADLER and Swiss operator Southeast Rail (SOB) unveiled the first Traverso Flirt low-floor EMU destined for operation on the Voralpen Express at a ceremony in Erlen on June 6.