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The Rail Commission for railway traffic, RailCom, advocates for a non-discriminatory interval planning. In the handling facilities of combined transport co-financed by the federal government, it focuses on fair prices and discounts. These and other topics are explained by RailCom in its activity report published today.
(Bern) Planning time slots for construction work on railway infrastructure (interval planning) is complex: On one hand, sufficient time must be allocated for construction work to be carried out effectively and to keep the infrastructure in good condition. On the other hand, the construction work should be carried out quickly and efficiently to minimize disruption to rail traffic.
RailCom, as an independent authority commission, is responsible for monitoring non-discriminatory access to railway infrastructure (network access). Interval planning is part of capacity planning and falls under network access. Therefore, infrastructure operators are required to plan the intervals or capacity restrictions and to determine replacement measures in a non-discriminatory manner.
As part of a focal topic, RailCom analyzed the processes applied and exchanged views with the industry at its specialist conference at the end of November 2021. RailCom advocates that transport companies are informed in a timely manner during interval planning, involved equally in the development of balanced replacement measures, and that any conflicts are resolved in a standardized procedure.
Prices and Discounts of Handling Facilities for Combined Transport
Another supervisory focus in the reporting year was on prices and discounts in the handling facilities for combined transport co-financed by the federal government. Nationwide, the federal government currently supports around 30 such facilities with investment contributions. The operators of these facilities are required to grant non-discriminatory access to third parties. This includes, among other things, the design of prices and discounts for handling and related ancillary services.
Examination of Compliance with Legal Requirements
RailCom examined whether the facility operators comply with legal requirements. In June 2021, RailCom initiated an investigation ex officio against one facility operator to further examine whether the operator complies with the principle of non-discrimination regarding its prices and discounts. The facility operator filed a complaint against RailCom’s decision with the Federal Administrative Court. The complaint procedure was still pending at the Federal Administrative Court at the end of the reporting year.
The Activity Report in Detail:
https://www.newsd.admin.ch/newsd/message/attachments/71203.pdf
Photo: © RailCom / Image Caption: The Board of RailCom (from left to right): Anna Ciaranfi Zanetta (Member), Werner Grossen (Member), Peter Bösch (Member), Giuliano Montanaro (Member), Patrizia Danioth Halter (President), Christof Böhler (Head of Department), Prof. Dr. Markus Kern (Vice President)
