Swiss Office of Transport sets new model to stabilise rail current prices
The Swiss Federal Office of Transport (BAV) has adjusted the model used to fix the price of railway current, making it possible to establish a low and fixed price for several years. The initiative was taken with SBB Energy, the rail current supplier for Swiss Federal Railways.
The price for rail current is set by the BAV after a proposal from SBB Energy. The latter can submit a request once a year asking to change the price, but the new agreement aims at keeping the price stable for at least four years. The new model will be enforced in 2025. As the BAV stated, “the price of traction current for the period 2025–28 will be fixed within the framework of the negotiations for the agreement on services 2025–28.”
Not only Switzerland: UIRR calls for European measures
The International Union for Road-Rail Combined Transport (UIRR) has also recently highlighted how higher electricity prices reduce the competitiveness of rail freight in combined transport. The Union claimed that combined transport should be included among the volatile groups that should have electricity prices regulated. This is because prices for traction electricity have drastically increased, which is a problem when it comes to the rail part of combined transport since it unavoidably uses electric traction. Moreover, combined transport operators and terminals are primarily small and medium-sized enterprises, making it difficult for them to keep up with the energy crisis.
Also read:
