Flixtrain could come to Switzerland – but there are hurdles

Flixtrain has expressed interest in specific rail routes in Switzerland. According to “Blick”, the company, which is part of the Flix transport group, is planning a connection between Zurich and Munich and an extension of the Berlin-Basel line to Zurich.

The background is part of the planned EU agreement, which is intended to partially open international rail traffic and make market access easier for companies like Flixtrain.

The Zurich-Munich route is one of ten pilot projects supported by the EU. Flixtrain is in contact with the EU Commission and the Swiss Federal Office of Transport, as a spokesman told “Blick”. There is no specific start date yet.

SBB held discussions with Flixtrain

SBB President Monika Ribar confirmed in August in the “NZZ” that an exchange had taken place: “There were actually discussions about cooperation. We haven’t heard anything from Flixtrain since January. The ball is in their court at the moment. We are open,” it says in the interview.

As “Blick” further writes, Flixtrain is not the only company that has expressed interest in the Swiss market. The Austrian Westbahn is also following developments closely: “We will also rearrange our expansion priorities as soon as more information is available.”

Some questions still remain to be clarified. If an EU deal were to come about, there would still be negotiating points that would need to be clarified, for example the regular timetable or the tariff system. (sda/ome)

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