The train-path
pricing system.
Who pays how much to rail
infrastructure?
SBB Infrastructure, July 2015SBB Infrastructure receives CHF 1.1 billion per year in charges for train path use. That covers 40 percent of the infrastructure costs incurred. The rest is funded from federal resources and transfer payments from SBB Real Estate.
What is a train path?
A train path (like a slot in aviation) is the entitlement to operate a specific train (length, weight, profile, speed) on a particular section of the rail network at fixed times.
Who determines train-path prices?
The Federal Council sets out the principles in the Track Access Ordinance. The Federal Office of Transport (FOT) then formulates prices for the Swiss rail network.
The train-path price is made up of the prices of basic and ancillary services:
Basic service price components
The base price
The base price components must cover marginal infra-structure costs. Incentives and product-related factors (such as stopping or hazardous-goods surcharges and a discount for the ETCS train control system) can result in a variable price per train.
The contribution margin
The contribution margin is specified by the franchising authority and, for franchise-holders’ passenger trains, it is calculated in accordance with sales revenues, which currently amounts to 13 percent in passenger services and 8 percent in regional passenger services. The revenue- related contribution margin in passenger operations makes an important contribution to fixed costs.
The energy price
The FOT determines the electricity price on the basis of information provided by the infrastructure operator so that no uncovered costs arise.
What is included in basic services?
Basic services include:
• train-path use at the quality specified, including train operating services
• power supply ex catenary
• safe and punctual operations on the open track, at sta-tions passed through and at the nodes, including the telecommunication and IT services required for these operations
• for passenger trains the use of platform space at the departure, intermediate and destination stations, and access for passengers to the public areas of these stations
• use of tracks by trains in unchanged formation for freight operations between agreed departure and des-tination points.
Ancillary services
The infrastructure operator determines the prices of ancil-lary services on a non-discriminatory basis, insofar as these can be provided with the existing infrastructure and personnel, and publishes them.
What are ancillary services?
Ancillary services include route setting for shunting runs, shunting in SBB marshalling yards, the stabling of rail vehicles, static water and power supplies, use of the route outside published opening times, etc.
The train-path price covers 40 percent
of infrastructure costs.
Basic services Ancillary services Miscellaneous services Train-path price
Miscellaneous services
Network users (railway companies) can also buy miscel-laneous services such as training runs for drivers at freely negotiable prices from companies other than the infra-structure operator. This does not come under the general issue of network access.
How much does a train path cost?
It depends. The train-path price is affected by the following parameters: type of service, choice of route, distance, travel times, number of stops, train weight, passenger rev-enues, technical train parameters (noise, ETCS) etc.
Share of train-path price by carrier
Passenger services generate a high proportion of train-path revenues.
How much of the ticket price flows into the train-path price?
Revenue from ticket sales for franchised SBB passenger services (not including subsidies) on the SBB infra-structure total CHF 3,03 billion. Of this total, one third goes towards the infrastructure by way of track access fees (basic train-path price plus price of ancillary services).
How are train-path costs distributed in the area of passenger services?
Base price CHF 419 m Train-path usage charge Energy
(Basic services only) CHF 145 m Power supply ex catenary contribution margin CHF 354 m Revenue-related contribution
to fixed costs Ancillary services
(Incl. proportion of traction current)
CHF 45 m Pre- and post-trip handling of a train
Source: IST 2014
Where do the train-path price revenues go?
Train-path price revenues are used solely for the opera-tion, maintenance, upgrading and minor expansion of SBB infrastructure. Currently the train-path price covers 40 percent of SBB Infrastructure’s operating and main-tenance costs. Some of the remaining costs are covered by the Service Level Agreement with the federal gov-ernment.
Further and more detailed information on the train-path price can be found online at www.onestopshop.ch. Ancillary service
(Incl. proportion of traction current)
CHF 82 m Base price CHF 508 m Contribution margin CHF 354 m Electricity price (Basic services only) CHF 198 m PV = 73% GV = 27% PV = 55% GV = 45% PV = 100% GV = 0% PV = 82% GV = 18%
PV = Passenger GV = Freight Source: IST 2014
CHF 3.03 bn
Traffic revenue from franchise-holders’ passenger services on SBB infrastructure
Train-path prices paid by franchise-holders’ passenger services on SBB infrastructure (basic and ancillary services)
CHF 0.96 bn
Reasons for higher costs at peak hours
• The demand factor takes account of train-path scarcity during peak hours.
• Route allocation is determined and published by the Federal Office for Transport (FOT).
• On heavily-used routes the base train-path price is doubled during peak hours (Monday to Friday from 6:00 to 8:59 and from 16:00 to 18:59).
• The energy price is increased by 20 percent at peak hours and reduced by 40 percent from 22:00 to 5:59.
Where are SBB Infrastructure’s services and prices published?
A list of infrastructure services and prices is published annually. It is jointly prepared by the infrastructure operators (SBB, BLS, SOB, Thurbo and Rhine port rail-ways) and is thus valid on these infrastructures. www.onestopshop.ch
Would you like to calculate the train-path price yourself?
At www.sbb.ch/en/train-paths-calculator you can find out for yourself what a train would cost, depending on where and when it goes.
Specimen calculations of train-path costs.
SBB AG Infrastructure Hilfikerstrasse 3 3000 Berne 65, Switzerland www.sbb.ch Regional train from Winterthur to Rapperswil Freight train from
Basel to Chiasso
The train-path price is influenced by the time of day as well as by other factors. Off-peak hours
Peak hours Night-time 0 CHF 1’000 2’000 3’000 4’000 5’000 6’000 7’000 8’000 Long-distance passenger train from St. Gallen to Geneva Airport CHF 3952,50 CHF 7985,50 CHF 2639,50 CHF 2937,80 CHF 275,50 CHF 606,70 CHF 2290,40
The train-path price – the charge paid by long-distance, regional and freight services for using the rail infrastructure – makes a substantial 40% contribution
to the funding of SBB Infrastructure's operating and maintenance costs.
The train-path price covers 40% of infrastructure costs.
The composition of the train-path price is as follows
55% federal government contributions
44% base price
29% contribution margin
20% energy price
7% ancillary services
5% transfer payment
from Real Estate
The federal government and SBB negotiate a grants programme, for four years as a rule. The Service Level Agreement (SLA) between SBB and the federal government as its owner sets out strategic objectives. The Service Level Agreement also specifies what services are to be provided by SBB and at what price.
40% train-path price
The train-path price is the charge paid by long-distance, regional and freight services for using the rail infrastructure (train path). The Federal Office of Transport (FOT)
determines the legal basis of the train-path price.
The contribution margin makes a contribution to fixed infrastructure costs. The level of the contribution margin for franchise-holders' passenger trains is determined by the franchising authority (FOT).
The energy price relates to the electricity that the train draws from the overhead power lines. The FOT determines the electricity price on the basis of information provided by the infrastructure operator so that no uncovered costs arise.
Ancillary services for the pre- and post-trip handling of trains is offered by the infrastructure operator, insofar as this can be provided with the existing infrastructure and personnel.
The base price is the charge for allowing a train to use the rail infrastructure. It covers the use of the train path, the requisite telecommunication and IT services, the operation of the train in unchanged formation, and the provision of platform space including access to public areas.
The federal government and SBB have agreed transfer payments from Real Estate to Infrastructure. The annual payments are set out in the Service Level Agreement with the federal government.
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