Siemens Mobility signs framework agreement with BLS for ETCS Level 2 upgrade

On 25 June 2025, Siemens Mobility and BLS Netz AG have agreed on a joint, long-term framework agreement worth 110 million EUR. The contract includes modernization of the existing control and safety technology to meet the latest ETCS Level 2. Siemens Mobility will supply systems for cab signaling as well as train control technology. As a first step, the regional railway line between Bern and Schwarzenburg will be equipped. The awarded sum includes options for additional projects that are to be implemented in the next decade according to the BLS ERTMS implementation concept for cab signaling.

BLS AG is modernizing its 17 km line between Bern Fischermätteli and Schwarzenburg by upgrading from ETCS Level 1 to signal-less ETCS Level 2. This technology enables the direct transmission of all track information to a display in the driver's cab. The challenge here lies in the line’s mix of urban and rural routing as well as its numerous level crossings.

To keep level crossing closure times as short as possible and minimize disruption to road traffic, Siemens Mobility is implementing a new intelligent level crossing management system. The modernization provides several benefits: It reduces the number of required interlocking systems, simplifies system maintenance, and creates prerequisites for expansions. The first commissioning of the new system is planned for 2029.

The BLS's network covers 424 km, making it the second-largest standard-gauge network in Switzerland after that od SBB. BLS Netz operates passenger as well as freight services. Founded in 1906, the company, originally named the Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon Bahn, is considered a pioneer of Swiss rail transport. One of its milestones was the opening of the Lötschberg Base Tunnel in 2007, which at 34.6 km is among the longest railway tunnels in the world. As Switzerland's second-largest railway company, BLS transports over 67 million passengers annually and plays a central role in public transport in the Bern region as well as on the freight transport corridor between the North Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.