BERN, SWITZERLAND – Swiss trains were a tad less punctual in 2013, says CFF, running on time 87.5 percent of the time, down from 88 percent in 2012. CFF rail travel accounts for 25 percent of all travel in Switzerland.

The national rail company says that for the first time ever the group carried more than one million passengers a day, the equivalent of more than one-eighth of the country’s population. Passenger-kilometres travelled remain the highest in the world and they rose by 1.3 percent to 17.8 billion. “This was largely made possible by improved services in French-speaking Switzerland,” says the CFF in a statement, “where there were 30 percent more seats and 14 additional trains, and by the twice-hourly service between Zurich and Schaffhausen.”

Maintenance costs take bigger bite of revenues

The ever-increasing number of passengers is putting pressure on the system, and maintenance costs rose sharply in 2013.

Consolidated net income was down by CHF184.2 million to CHF238.2 million.

Most of the CHF332.1 million increase in operating expenses “was due to higher trainpath costs (CHF163 million) and additional expenses, largely for maintenance of the rail network (CHF128.6 million),” the CFF said in a statement 25 March.

“The fare increases that came into force in December 2012, which averaged 5.2 percent, generated additional revenues of some CHF129 million. These rises were sufficient to cover approximately 80 percent of the increase in train-path costs, which were up by CHF163 million rise. These higher access charges and the increased expenses incurred by the expanded offering cut the Passenger Division’s result drastically to CHF96.1 million, only just over one-third of the 2012 figure of CHF268.9 million and significantly lower than it had been in earlier years.”

First profit in 40 years for cargo division

The amount wasn’t enough to offset maintenance costs but for the first time in 40 years the cargo division was in the black in 2013. Traffic volume rose by 1.5 percent but revenues were up 4.7 percent thanks to an ambitious cost-cutting programme. “SBB Cargo rejigged its production networks, its fleet and its administration last year, achieving significant improvements in its cost structure.”