PCPA commitment to the existing network
On 18 December 2024, the Federal Office of Transport presented the framework for performance agreements for 2025–2028, following approval of the CHF 16.4 billion federal spending ceiling. It concerns infrastructure operation, maintenance and renewal. It should not be confused with the total cost of rail transport or individual expansion projects.
The purpose is practical: tracks, bridges, tunnels and safety systems must be maintained when trains need to run. Work that attracts little attention can create as much public value as a newly opened connection.
Plan works together with the service
Renewal requires closures, restrictions and sometimes replacement services. Planning should reduce overlapping disruption on the same journeys and preserve connections where possible. Passengers need dependable information about alternatives early enough to organise their travel.
The PCP calls for attention to people working early, late or irregular hours. A replacement service on paper is inadequate if journeys become substantially longer or workplaces cease to be reachable. Accessibility must be checked at stations and throughout construction periods.
Technical skills are infrastructure too
The network depends on maintenance work, operational control and coordination. Digital tools cannot replace teams able to diagnose faults and intervene. Plans must include recruitment, training, knowledge transfer and safe working conditions.
Contracting work out must leave clear responsibility. Infrastructure managers must retain technical command of the work performed for them. Contract prices should be assessed alongside quality, deadlines and working conditions, so reliability does not depend on staffing reductions that cannot be sustained.
Account for the use of resources
The PCP supports public reporting that distinguishes approved funding, completed work, asset condition and service delivered. Causes of delay should be explained without attributing every incident indiscriminately to insufficient money. Indicators should inform maintenance decisions and reveal recurring problems.
Prevention also matters: timely renewal can avoid a failure without creating a dramatic event. Stable resources, the quality of work and cooperation between operators underpin a reliable railway. Financing them is a long-term public responsibility.
Documents and sources
The cited documents provide the facts and provisions examined. Political judgments and proposals expressed in this article are those of the PCP.