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The year 2023 was positive for SBB: 1.32 million people were moved every day; This means an increase of 160,000 compared to the previous year. This means that the level of the record year 2019 has been reached again, as SBB announced on Monday.
As a result, this leads to a profit of 267 million francs, following a loss of 245 million francs last year. This marks the first time SBB has made landfall since 2019.
A good year but challenges still remain
Chairman of the Board of Directors Monika Ribar (64) announced at today’s media conference that SBB will reach the “end point of the epidemic” in 2023. Now is the time to look forward.
In the short term, our motto is “safe, clean, on time”. Ribar said that one of the positive aspects is the punctuality rate, which is already 92.5 percent, and that “the whole of Europe is the envy of us.” But the pressure to save money and be efficient remains high.
For his part, CEO Vincent Ducrot (61), visibly pleased, explains that, contrary to media predictions, SBB has been able to sell more than 70,000 Half Fare Plus and more than 90,000 GA Night tickets. The number of international rail passengers is also at a record high.
This meant that SBB was able to easily reduce its debt mountain. But the debt situation remains tense: “We do not have the opportunity to significantly reduce debt on our own.” This will require a sustainable profit level of over 500 million francs within a few years. SBB currently has debts of 11.26 billion francs. The austerity program, which aims to save around 6 billion francs by 2030, is now on track.
Slightly slower for more stability
The stability of the timeline is crucial now and in the future. Ducrot states that the next calendar will be adapted to “reality”. For example, the Bern-Fribourg route is calculated as one minute more in the timetable. Ducrot says this is considered to be in the interest of a reliable system.
SBB also needs to take into account many construction sites. “It is becoming increasingly difficult to balance driving and construction,” says Monika Ribar. SBB had more than 20,000 construction sites in 2023. Construction volume will continue to increase. This situation causes great difficulties in terms of planning.
In addition to construction works, SBB predicts that the biggest challenges will be experienced in the fields of freight transportation, digitalization, energy and international passenger transportation in the next 10 years. During this period, the aim will be to grow intelligently in the main business line.
Where will the railway be from 2050?
SBB has been working on the long-term problem for two years. “There will be no new ‘Bahn 2000’ or a new NRLA,” says Ribar, who tempers expectations. User needs and profitability are at the heart of long-term planning. The ultimate goal is “more often, faster, more flexible.”
Because customers want attractive offers at reasonable prices. The aim is to make even better use of existing and planned infrastructure.
“We won’t be able to build as much in the future as we do today,” Ducrot says. In the 2050 Strategy, the federal government focuses primarily on regional expansion; But SBB is also very interested in European connections. Routes to Munich, Milan or Lyon need serious improvements. In the national system, a service is required every 15 minutes on all important routes.
Source :Blick
I’m Tim David and I work as an author for 24 Instant News, covering the Market section. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, my mission is to provide accurate, timely and insightful news coverage that helps our readers stay informed about the latest trends in the market. My writing style is focused on making complex economic topics easy to understand for everyone.
