As a small country, Switzerland needs a rail network that is modern and efficient. Upgrades and maintenance thus require robust long-term financing. With its draft bill to finance and upgrade Switzerland’s rail infrastructure ("Finanzierung und Ausbau der Bahninfrastruktur" – FABI), the federal government is laying the foundations for a sustainably financed rail service – for both passenger traffic and environmentally friendly goods traffic.

FABI envisages

• operation, maintenance and upgrade of the railway system being financed from a single rail infrastructure fund (Bahninfrastrukturfonds – BIF) in future.
• the rail network to be upgraded in stages according to the Strategic Development Programme (STEP).

The rail infrastructure fund (BIF) is intended to replace the time-limited fund for the Financing of Public Transport Infrastructure Projects (FinöV). In the beginning of 2012, the Federal Council submitted the draft FABI bill to the Parliament. Ultimately, the decision rests with the voters, with a popular vote expected in 2013 or 2014. The Federal Council's draft FABI bill is a direct counter-proposal in response to the popular initiative "For public transport" ("Für den öffentlichen Verkehr").

• Rail infrastructure fund (BIF): an integrated solution for sustainable financing.
• Strategic development programme (STEP): step by step towards more railway.
• SBB press releases on FABI (in German).
• The Union of Public Transport (UPT) on FABI (in German).
• The website of the Federal Office of Transport (FOT) on FABI (in German).