Lack of 142 million francs within the first half for SBB – rts.ch

The half-year result’s higher than that of the identical interval final 12 months (-389 million francs), however it stays damaging at -142 million francs, communicated the SBB on Thursday. The principle line site visitors accounts nonetheless present a deficit of 123 million francs, which weighs on the half-year outcomes.

The corporate remains to be feeling the results of the pandemic: demand has stagnated since Might at a degree round 10% decrease than earlier than the well being disaster. Within the first half of 2022, a complete of 1.1 million passengers traveled every day in regional and mainline site visitors, 43.9% greater than in 2021, however nonetheless 15.1% lower than in 2019, earlier than the coronavirus pandemic.

Document determine for half-fare

For ecological causes, increasingly more vacationers want the practice for sure locations, particularly in worldwide site visitors (night time trains). For this 12 months, demand is even generally increased than it was in 2019. At this degree, punctuality and the worldwide ticketing system should be improved, consider the SBB.

Whereas commuter site visitors is falling, leisure site visitors is rising. The corporate intends to develop the supply on this area of interest, for instance with “VosAlpes Specific” in winter or extra connections on summer time weekends between Ticino and Zurich.

On the finish of June 2022, half-fare season tickets reached report figures, with 2.9 million legitimate, i.e. 7.6% greater than in June 2021 (+9.6% in comparison with 2019) .

Sharp rise in vitality prices

Nonetheless, the state of affairs stays tense for the corporate, which is anxious about excessive vitality costs. After all, SBB runs on 90% hydraulic vitality, most of which comes from its personal energy stations. However presently, these produce much less vitality because of the drought and the low degree of the reservoirs.

>> Learn additionally: Vincent Ducrot: “We are able to present three quarters of our provide” within the occasion of an influence scarcity

So as to have the ability to produce its personal electrical energy within the occasion of a scarcity, the SBB presently retains its dams as full as doable, they write. This obliges them to acquire alternative vitality in the marketplace at always rising costs.

This case is already having a damaging affect on the half-year outcome, specifically of the Power Infrastructure unit, with -24.2 million francs (2021: +17.5 million francs). The state of affairs worsened throughout the summer time and can weigh closely on the 2022 annual outcome.

SBB has developed completely different situations to cope with the chance of electrical energy and gasoline shortages. They lowered the heating and lighting of their buildings, turned off the recent water within the workplaces and started to favor gas oil over gasoline for his or her installations. The corporate additionally waives Christmas lights, facade lighting and CFF indicators.

Rail transport not worthwhile

CFF Cargo Suisse (-34 million francs) and SBB Cargo Worldwide (-3.8 million francs) are in deficit over the primary half. At SBB Cargo Switzerland, the transport efficiency hardly modified (-2.8%), at SBB Cargo Worldwide, it fell by an extra 4.6%. Wagon transport remains to be not worthwhile.

SBB Immobilier’s third-party rental earnings as soon as once more had a stabilizing impact: Within the first half of the 12 months, it exceeded the figures for the earlier 12 months by 10.4% (319 million francs, 2021: 289 million francs).

Lastly, debt stays an actual problem, the corporate factors out: at 30.6%, it’s above the figures for 2019. On the finish of the primary half, the debt protection ratio was 10, 2, whereas the speed anticipated by the Confederation is 6.5 by 2030.

The working state of affairs is globally secure. In 2022, 263 folks began coaching to drive the locomotives: a report that helps to fill the scarcity of personnel. Within the majority of instances, practice reliability was ensured, regardless of unsatisfactory availability, notably in Ticino and French-speaking Switzerland.

In a response, the SEV transport union notes a resumption of rail site visitors and reiterates its demand for an actual improve in wages at SBB.

ats/train