Austrian Federal Railways and Swiss Federal Railways Extend Cooperation Until 2036

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On November 4, the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) and the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) signed an agreement to extend their international rail passenger cooperation by 10 years, until 2036. The new agreement continues the cooperation mechanism established by the two companies in 2016, covering daytime long-distance trains between Switzerland and Austria, as well as the joint night train network departing from Switzerland. Over the past decade, cross-border daytime and nighttime rail passenger volumes between the two countries have grown by approximately 55%, and the two parties will continue to maintain the existing international passenger service system through the renewal.

In terms of daytime passenger services, the two parties currently operate more than 30 cross-border direct trains per day. Railjet trains run every two hours in each direction between Zurich and Innsbruck/Salzburg, with 6 trains per day in each direction; 5 direct trains run daily between Zurich and Vienna. In addition, Zurich also has direct trains to Budapest and Bratislava. The daily EuroCity "Transalpin" train connects Zurich with Graz, Austria, via cities including Innsbruck and Kitzbühel, and carries SBB panoramic observation cars. The EuroCity service from Zurich to Bregenz and extending to Munich is also included in the scope of cooperation between the two parties.

Nighttime passenger service is another important business covered by this renewal. Since 2017, ÖBB and SBB have gradually built a joint night train network. Currently, they jointly operate 6 night routes departing from Zurich, respectively to Amsterdam, Berlin, Hamburg, Vienna, Graz and Prague. The other two night routes from Zurich to Budapest and Zagreb are operated with the participation of other partners and are not among the six routes covered by this renewal. Since 2016, passenger volumes on the six jointly operated night routes departing from Switzerland have grown by approximately 150%.

Rolling stock renewal is also driving the upgrade of nighttime services. ÖBB is gradually putting the new-generation Nightjet trains into the European night rail network. They are currently used on the Zurich–Hamburg and Zurich–Vienna routes, and are planned to be introduced on the Zurich–Amsterdam route from December 9, 2026. The new model uses a seven-car formation, featuring sleeping cars, couchette cars with individual mini-cabins, seating cars and accessible facilities, increasing accommodation options for solo travelers and improving luggage and bicycle storage conditions. This rolling stock renewal is being advanced by ÖBB, providing capacity and service foundations for the two parties' extended night train cooperation.