Swiss Federal Office of Transport

What Swiss Federal Office of Transport does

The Swiss Federal Office of Transport (FOT), known in German as Bundesamt für Verkehr (BAV) and French as Office fédéral des transports (OFT), is the federal agency of the Swiss Confederation responsible for regulating and overseeing public passenger and freight transport. It operates under the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC) and has statutory basis under Articles 10-11 of the Government and Administration Organisation Act. The FOT oversees railways, trams, buses, shipping, cableways, road transport, and underground freight transport, with a mandate to ensure safe, efficient, customer-friendly, and sustainable mobility. The agency is headquartered in Ittigen near Bern, employs approximately 360 staff across five divisions, and is led by Director Christa Hostettler (since 1 August 2024).

The FOT's core operational responsibilities include licensing, safety supervision, infrastructure financing, and direct commissioning of regional passenger transport services. It administers a portfolio of multi-decade infrastructure programs, including the Railway Expansion Step 2025 (CHF 6.4 billion), ZEB (CHF 5.4 billion), the Railway Expansion Step 2035 (CHF 12.89 billion), the 4-Metre Corridor (CHF 990 million), and the New Rail Link through the Alps (NRLA). On the technology side, the FOT operates the National Mobility Data Infrastructure (MODI), which comprises the National Data Networking Infrastructure for Mobility (NADIM) and the Transportation Network CH (operated with swisstopo) and provides standardized spatial referencing and data exchange across modes.

The FOT's financial model is federal budget allocation rather than commercial revenue. The federal government spends approximately CHF 6 billion per year on public transport and rail freight under the FOT's mandate, of which around CHF 4.7 billion per year flows through the Rail Infrastructure Fund (RIF/BIF) that has financed operations, maintenance, renewal, and expansion since 2016. The FOT co-commissions roughly 1,550 lines from 108 transport companies for regional passenger transport, with a federal contribution of about CHF 1.1 billion annually. International engagement is expanding through recent MoUs with France, the UK, and India on cross-border rail passenger and freight services. As a sovereign regulator, the FOT does not sell products or services; transport fares are set by operators, and the agency operates free of equity, shareholders, or M&A dynamics.

Name

Swiss Federal Office of Transport

Legal name

Federal Office of Transport (FOT)

Website

https://bav.admin.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1800

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Swiss Federal Office of Transport (FOT) is the Swiss federal agency regulating and financing public passenger and freight transport—rail, bus, tram, shipping, cableways, and road—through ~CHF 6 billion in annual federal spending, licensing, and commissioning of services from 108 transport operators across 1,550 lines.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Transport Regulation and Oversight

NAICS

Regulation and Administration of Transportation Programs (92612), Support Activities for Rail Transportation (4882), Rail Transportation (4821)

SIC

Transportation Services (4700), Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAIALAG

Rail Infrastructure Authorities (Track, Stations, Grade Crossings)

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Transportation & Infrastructure Agencies (Roads, Transit, Public Works)

SECONDARYTLAJADAB

Rail Signaling & Train Control Infrastructure (Interlockings, ETCS/CBTC Wayside)

Transportation & Logistics/Transportation Infrastructure & Operations (Roads, Rail Networks, Traffic Management)/Rail Network Infrastructure Management (Track, Signaling, Electrification)

SECONDARYTLAJAFAJ

Rail Terminal Inspection, Safety & Regulatory Compliance (Hazmat, Brake/Car Checks)

Transportation & Logistics/Transportation Infrastructure & Operations (Roads, Rail Networks, Traffic Management)/Intermodal & Freight Rail Yards / Terminals Operations

Keywords

• Public transport regulation
• Railway infrastructure financing
• Transport safety oversight
• Mobility data infrastructure
• Freight transport policy

Headquarters

HQ city

Ittigen

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Federal Government Funding: The FOT is a government agency financed through federal budget allocations. It spends approximately CHF 6 billion annually on public transport and rail freight. Around CHF 4.7 billion per year is allocated through the Rail Infrastructure Fund.
2. Rail Infrastructure Fund: Operations and maintenance, renewal and modernization of existing rail infrastructure, and further expansion financed via the Rail Infrastructure Fund (around CHF 4.7 billion per year, and in the longer term probably around CHF 6 billion per year).
3. Regional Passenger Transport Financing: Federal government and cantons commission transport companies; federal government's share of cost is around one billion francs per year.
4. Rail Freight Support: Operating subsidies for combined transport through the Alps and co-financing of freight transport facilities such as terminals and sidings (total of around CHF 100 to 200 million per year).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Federal Office of Transport (FOT) regulates and oversees all public passenger and freight transport in Switzerland, including railways, trams, buses, shipping, cableways, road and underground freight transport. It commissions regional passenger transport services jointly with cantons, manages rail infrastructure financing through the Rail Infrastructure Fund, and operates national mobility data infrastructure (MODI) to standardize data exchange across transport modes.

Product overview

The Federal Office of Transport (FOT) is Switzerland's federal authority responsible for public passenger and freight transport regulation and oversight. Rather than offering commercial products, the FOT manages a portfolio of national transport infrastructure programs including the Railway Expansion Steps (2025 and 2035), ZEB programme, and 4-Metre Corridor. The FOT also operates the National Mobility Data Infrastructure (MODI), comprising the Transportation Network CH and NADIM subsystems, which enables standardized exchange of mobility data across Switzerland's transport network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• National Mobility Data Infrastructure (MODI)

Quantifiable outcome

• Rail captures 70% of transalpine freight transport market share
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• United Kingdom (Department for Transport)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 May 2025Memorandum of Understanding signed between Federal Councillor Albert Rösti and UK Secretary of State for Transport Heidi Alexander for increased cooperation in international rail passenger transport. The aim is to establish a direct railway link between Switzerland and the UK. This requires check-in terminals at departure stations for Schengen compliance and agreements between Switzerland, France and the UK.
• France (Ministry of Transport)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2025Two MoUs signed with French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot: (1) MoU on developing rail freight on the left bank of the Rhine to optimize rail freight corridors and implement parliamentary mandate for efficient access route to Basel and NRLA axes; (2) MoU on strategic development of Franco-Swiss rail links to determine potential of eight cross-border rail lines extending to Paris/London/Brussels, Lyon, south of France and Spain.
• India (Ministry of Railways)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 October 2024MoU signed between Federal Councillor Albert Rösti and India's Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw to pursue and intensify cooperation in the rail sector. India has significant interest in innovative technologies, modern rolling stock, and expertise in construction, electrification and rail safety systems. Switzerland has globally recognized expertise in public transport and hosts global market leaders. A Swiss-Indian working group was established under an earlier MoU in 2017.
• Federal Office of Topography (swisstopo)coreTechnology or Integrationswisstopo operates the Transportation Network CH system for spatial referencing and linking mobility data, enabling consistent digital representation of Switzerland's transport system as part of the MODI national mobility data infrastructure.

Scale indicators24 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Federal Aviation Administration (FAA): U.S. federal agency regulating civil aviation safety, air traffic control, and infrastructure. Comparable to FOT as an analogous mode-specific federal regulator with safety supervision, infrastructure financing, and policy-making authority, applied to aviation rather than surface transport.
• Transport for London (TfL): Statutory body responsible for most aspects of London's transport system, including rail, Underground, buses, and river services. Comparable to FOT in integrating multiple transport modes under a single public authority, though with a regional rather than national scope.
• Network Rail (Great Britain): Owner and operator of most of Great Britain's railway infrastructure, combining rail network management with public-interest oversight functions. Comparable to FOT in managing large-scale rail infrastructure investment programs, though operating as an arm's-length public body rather than a federal regulator.

Direct peers

• U.S. Federal Railroad Administration (FRA): U.S. Department of Transportation agency responsible for railroad safety, infrastructure policy, and freight/passenger rail oversight. Closest international analog to FOT in terms of federal regulatory authority over rail safety, infrastructure financing oversight, and standards-setting.
• Swiss Federal Roads Office (FEDRO/ASTRA): Swiss federal agency responsible for road infrastructure and road transport regulation, the road-mode counterpart to FOT. Closest direct peer in mandate structure, governance model, and scale, operating under the same parent department (DETEC) and managing comparable federal program budgets.
• European Union Agency for Railways (ERA): EU-wide rail regulatory authority responsible for harmonizing rail safety, interoperability, and market access across member states. Direct peer to FOT's role as Switzerland's federal rail regulator, with overlapping mandates on safety supervision and cross-border rail coordination.
• Transport Canada: Canadian federal department responsible for transportation policy, rail safety, and infrastructure programs across all modes. Comparable to FOT as a national-level regulator covering rail, marine, and surface transport with a similar combination of policy, safety oversight, and program funding roles.
• Office of Rail and Road (ORR): UK's combined rail and road economic and safety regulator, covering Network Rail, HS2, and track access charges. Direct peer to FOT on rail regulation and economic oversight, with whom FOT signed a 2025 MoU for direct Switzerland-London rail service.
• Eisenbahn-Bundesamt (EBA): Germany's federal railway authority responsible for rail supervision, licensing, and safety oversight. Direct peer to FOT on rail regulation and supervision in a neighboring Alpine country with comparable cross-border freight dynamics.
• Bundesamt für Güterverkehr (BAG): Germany's federal freight transport authority monitoring rail freight competition and modal shift. Comparable to FOT's freight transport and combined-transport oversight functions, with a similarly narrow focus on regulating freight rail economics and market access.

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/bav608
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/14600996/admin

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Swiss Federal Office of Transport