Siemens Mobility and Swiss BLS Netz AG have signed a long-term framework agreement valued at €110 million. This contract involves the modernization of control and safety technology to comply with the European Train Control System standard, ETCS Level 2. Siemens Mobility will provide advanced safety systems for cab signaling and train control technology. The initial phase will see this technology installed on the regional railway line between Bern and Schwarzenburg in Switzerland. The agreement includes options for future projects aligned with BLS’s ERTMS implementation concept for cab signaling.
Daniel Pixley, Head of Automation at BLS Netz AG, stated: “Siemens Mobility is the optimal supplier for us, with a convincing complete solution to set the standard in Switzerland for high-performance regional lines based on ETCS Level 2. The joint project is the foundation for further initiatives by BLS and the industry in Switzerland, following the ERTMS implementation concepts.”
Marc Ludwig, CEO of Siemens Mobility Rail Infrastructure, added: “BLS Netz AG trusts in our expertise to equip its Bern-Schwarzenburg regional line with state-of-the-art ETCS Level 2 technology. We will be integrating and meeting the specific requirements of a line that runs through both urban and rural areas – from optimized closing times of level crossings to efficient traffic control. The long-term framework agreement also ensures planning security and enables the efficient implementation of future modernizations.”
The modernization project aims to upgrade BLS’s 17-kilometer line between Bern Fischermätteli and Schwarzenburg from ETCS Level 1 to signal-less ETCS Level 2. This technology allows direct transmission of track information to a display in the driver’s cab, enhancing capacity for regional rail operations. The challenge lies in managing urban and rural routing along with numerous level crossings. To minimize road traffic disruption, Siemens Mobility will introduce an intelligent level crossing management system.
The BLS Netz AG network spans 424 kilometers, making it Switzerland’s second-largest standard-gauge network after SBB’s network. Operating since 1906 under its original name ‘Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon Railway’, it has been pivotal in Swiss rail transport development. A notable achievement was opening the Lötschberg Base Tunnel in 2007, one of the world’s longest railway tunnels at 34.6 kilometers. As Switzerland’s second-largest railway company, BLS transports over 67 million passengers annually and is crucial for public transport in Bern as well as freight transport between the North Sea and Mediterranean Sea.
