The Swiss capacity allocation body TVS is a federal not-for-profit entity under public law with a sepa-rate legal personality.
We are independent and customer-driven. Our guiding principles are neutrality, quality and efficiency.
Here you'll find details of our Board of Directors and Executive Board and an organisation chart of the TVS.
The Board of Directors sets the strategic goals of the TVS every four years.
Here you can find out more about the work the TVS undertakes for the various parts of the rail network.
In addition to other tasks delegated to us, the TVS carries out the infrastructure management work needed to ensure that trains can access the rail network. This is explained in more detail here.
The timetable is generated by the train path design. The TVS is responsible for timetabling and participates in every phase of the timetabling process.
Use of the track network is based on a request or an order and the allocation of rights of use. The TVS accepts orders and allocates train paths and ancillary services.
Rail freight corridors are an important part of Switzerland’s policy of transferring freight from road to rail. The main role of the TVS here is in helping to coordinate available capacity and providing the framework conditions.
In accordance with Article 15f of the Railways Ordinance (EBV), the TVS keeps a register of the information required to operate on the rail infrastructure.
A charge is levied for use of the railway infrastructure. The TVS is responsible for ensuring that the services consumed by train path users are recorded and invoiced in a non-discriminatory manner.
The investment plans of the infrastructure managers state how they intend to undertake and fund the maintenance and expansion of their infrastructure in the future.
TVS collaborates with various European infrastructure-manager institutions and bodies to the extent that this is of benefit to the various duties it carries out and services it provides.
As a company in the rail infrastructure sector, the TVS plays an active role in Swiss rail industry bodies.
The glossary explains some of the specialist terminology the TVS uses in its work.
Here you'll find general information about the TVS as well as an introduction to the topic of railway network access.
Cross-border rail freight traffic depends on attractive and needs-based train path offers. In EU Regulation 913/2010 “concerning a European rail network for competitive freight”, the European Union created eleven freight corridors. IMs and capacity allocation bodies are required to work together closely to simplify the provision of market-driven, continuous, cross-border train paths and the train path ordering process.
Switzerland is not a member of the EU, but because Switzerland lies at the heart of Europe, it participates in the Rhine-Alpine and North Sea-Mediterranean corridors.
For each corridor, the participating IMs and capacity allocation bodies compile a train path catalogue that contains agreed market-driven cross-border train path offers for freight traffic. These ‘ready-made’ train paths are awarded on behalf of the relevant IMs and capacity allocation bodies through a corridor one-stop-shop and are given higher priority when it comes to train path allocation.
EU Regulation 913/2010 makes provision for specific bodies to run these corridors, both at ministerial level and in the relevant IMs and capacity allocation bodies.
The TVS is a member of the governing body (management board) of both the Rhine-Alpine corridor and the North Sea-Mediterranean corridor and takes part in several working groups. The RUs and terminal operators participate as members of advisory bodies to ensure their needs are also taken into account.
Links Rhine-Alpine corridor North Sea-Mediterranean corridor
