The reform of rail passenger traffic in Switzerland: more performance without competition?[Une réforme du transport ferroviaire de voyageurs en Suisse : davantage de performances sans concurrence ?]

The Swiss railway system is known for its quality of service and its integration in a particularly dense public transportation system. People are less aware of ongoing institutional reform. This article aims to shed light on passenger traffic reform, more particularly pertaining to regional traffic. Which institutional frameworks are implicated? What have been the results obtained, both for public finances and for travelers? What are the key elements for explaining the recorded gains in performance? What lessons could be drawn for railway reform? In sum, it appears that improved performance is possible in Switzerland even without competition. These improvements are due to the nature of public governance and its impact on the various stakeholders. Public authorities have imposed ambitious but negotiated targets on operators, coupled with severe financial constraints, in a context of decentralization of public procurement. Given this new institutional framework, railway companies and especially the former monopoly holder SBB have achieved significant productivity increases through management and technical innovations. Client satisfaction, at the heart of the reform, also contributes to these successes.