SBB has awarded framework contracts worth €1.5 billion to Hitachi, Siemens, and Stadler Rail for the rollout of next-generation digital interlockings. The modernization aims to make Switzerland’s dense rail network more efficient, reliable, and ready for future traffic growth.
The new systems, described by SBB as the 'heart of rail operations', will gradually replace outdated technology—some dating back to the 1950s. Around 80 percent of Switzerland’s nearly 500 interlockings will be renewed over the next 20 years, with the first digital units expected to enter service in 2029.
According to SBB, the move to digital interlockings is a crucial step toward a fully networked and automated railway. The upgrade will support cab signalling, where train drivers receive movement and safety information directly inside the cab rather than from signals along the tracks. This will eventually allow more trains to run at shorter intervals, increasing capacity without building new lines.
The awarded suppliers—Hitachi, Siemens, and Stadler Rail—were selected through a public tender based on cost efficiency, innovation, and technical quality. Before series deployment, the systems will undergo extensive testing under mixed passenger and freight traffic conditions.
Currently, SBB operates a complex mix of legacy interlockings that require high maintenance and limit modernization options. By replacing relay-based systems with modular, standardized components, the company expects reduced operating costs and greater flexibility for future upgrades.
Digitalization, SBB says, is the key to managing the expected increase in mobility demand. The transformation will take around 40 years to complete, leading to a more robust, safer, and better-integrated Swiss rail network.
