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SBB is canceling more and more train connections, now supervision is active
The Federal Office of Transportation (BAV) reprimands SBB for failing dozens of connections every day due to a lack of drivers. “Such a reduction in schedule is not acceptable to us,” BAV’s Michael Müller told Radio SRF on Friday.
SBB released the 2021 schedule on Wednesday and announced there would be various restrictions on services from September 7 until the time change. Around 200 of the more than 9,000 trains in service are canceled on weekdays. In some cases, replacement buses would have to be used, leading to longer travel times.
SBB currently lacked 210 train drivers, SBB justified the measures. His training was delayed due to the corona virus.
SBB has to finance alternative offers themselves
In a letter from the BAV, the director of the BAV, Peter Füglistaller, has now complained. It is true that BAV expresses its understanding that SBB will continue to reduce certain offers that they had already made during the crown lock. The fact that SBB wanted to temporarily shut down entire S-Bahn lines does not mean: “We cannot agree to this approach,” Radio SRF quotes in the letter.
If SBB does not provide requested services in regional passenger transportation, the federal government will pay nothing for them. What’s more, SBB has to finance its replacement offer itself. “The federal government does not pay for these replacement buses, that’s up to SBB,” said Müller, a BAV spokesman.
Like the federal government, the cantons have also requested and co-financed services from SBB. And they are also considering the consequences of the supply reduction.
“If SBB simply discontinues these services unilaterally, the question is whether there are financial claims on the customer’s side to SBB. We have to ask ourselves if there are any liability claims, ”the chairman of the cantonal public transport directors, Basel government councilor SP Hans-Peter Wessels told Radio SRF. If SBB cuts performance now, the cantons should see if they can demand compensation from SBB. (sda)
