SWITZERLAND: Swiss Federal Railways plans to tender a new digital traffic control system from 2027, begin phased deployment in the early 2030s and fully replace Iltis by the early 2040s.

The SBB digital traffic control system is due for tender from 2027 and phased rollout in the early 2030s, replacing Iltis.
The SBB digital traffic control system is due for tender from 2027 and phased rollout in the early 2030s, replacing Iltis.

SBB’s official announcement says the replacement should support more trains on the existing network, improve operational stability and give dispatchers greater flexibility. The operator intends to introduce the platform section by section without disrupting passenger or freight services.

New platform will connect signalling and timetables

The current Iltis platform — short for Integrales Leit- und Informationssystem — has supported centralised railway traffic control for more than 30 years. Staff at SBB control centres use it around the clock to monitor and regulate passenger and freight movements.

The successor is intended to connect directly with future digital interlockings and SBB’s timetable-planning platform. It must follow international standards and combine real-time traffic management with the railway’s future signalling architecture.

SBB plans to introduce new digital signalling systems from 2029, while procurement for the wider traffic control platform is scheduled to start from 2027 under Swiss public procurement rules. The staged rollout is due to begin in the early 2030s. SBB aims to finish installation in the early 2040s, although the continuity arrangement allows Iltis to remain supported until 2045 at the latest.

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CHF 280 million ceiling supports the transition

SBB is extending its technical support agreement with Siemens Mobility Switzerland to keep Iltis safe and operational during the migration. The extension was published on the Simap procurement platform on 29 July 2026.

The CHF 280 million ceiling, equivalent to EUR 300.04 million, is the maximum available for support through the complete replacement of Iltis. It is not a guaranteed expenditure: SBB expects the cost of maintaining the legacy platform to decline as the new system takes control of larger parts of the network.

SBB says a supplier change is excluded for technical and legal reasons because Siemens developed Iltis, holds its intellectual property and has the expertise required to maintain it. The work will be delivered from Wallisellen, keeping the contract’s value added in Switzerland.

Siemens Mobility’s product information says the current Controlguide deployment covers around 80% of SBB’s mainline network and receives 24/7 support. That scale makes the phased migration essential: Iltis will remain the operating platform for controlled sections until each is transferred to its successor.

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