BERN - Swiss Federal Railways has extended support for the Siemens Iltis rail-control system with a contract reported at about CHF 280 million. The money buys time. Iltis still watches a large share of the network. A successor digital platform is planned for the early 2030s, not for next winter's timetable.
Passengers notice punctuality, not control rooms. Switzerland's long-distance reliability remains far above Deutsche Bahn's, a gap that has already pushed SBB to stop some German trains at the border rather than let delays cascade toward Zurich and Interlaken. Keeping Iltis patched is part of that defensive posture.
A network that is ageing in layers
The same company is planning to replace rails in the Gotthard Base Tunnel earlier than first advertised, a story we logged in September 2025. Control software and steel wear on different clocks, but both eat capital.
Unions have asked whether the long overlap between old and new systems will stretch night shifts. SBB says safety cases come before go-live dates. Commuters will believe that when the 07:12 still leaves on time.