Publication date: 13.11.2025
Overview
- Author: Peter Bodenmann
- Source: https://weltwoche.ch/story/das-hat-peter-spuhler-nicht-verdient/
- Date: 12.11.2025
- Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Article Summary
What is it about? SBB awarded a billion-dollar contract for rail vehicles to the German corporation Siemens instead of the Swiss company Stadler Rail. Bodenmann calls this a "scandal without equal" and criticizes the disadvantaging of domestic industry.
Important facts:
- Stadler Rail employs 6000 employees in Switzerland (directly and indirectly)
- The company has orders worth 24 billion francs on its books
- Under Peter Spuhler, Stadler grew from 60 to 6000 employees
- SBB still awarded the major contract to Siemens Germany
- Stadler is 5 times larger than Ems-Chemie (measured by number of employees)
- European rail vehicle manufacturers are under pressure
[⚠️ Still to be verified - article incomplete]
Affected groups: Stadler Rail employees, Swiss rail vehicle industry, taxpayers (lost tax revenue), supplier companies
Opportunities & risks:
- Risk: Weakening of the Swiss industrial base and jobs
- Risk: Loss of tax revenue through foreign contracts
- Opportunity: Legal review of award criteria possible
Recommendations: Critical review of SBB procurement practices and stronger consideration of economic aspects in public tenders.
Looking to the Future
Short-term (1 year): Possible legal action by Stadler Rail against the contract award; political discussion about award criteria for state enterprises.
Medium-term (5 years): Potential adjustment of procurement guidelines for public companies; possible weakening of the Swiss rail vehicle industry with further foreign contracts.
Long-term (10-20 years): Structural change in the Swiss industrial landscape; increased international competition could force domestic companies to relocate abroad.
Fact-checking
- Stadler Rail employee numbers and order value: Plausible based on public company information
- Comparison with Ems-Chemie:
[⚠️ Still to be verified - exact figures not available] - SBB contract award to Siemens: Confirmed by media reports
- Critical note: The article is incomplete - important details about award criteria and background are missing
Additional Sources
Due to the incomplete article, no additional sources with concrete details can be provided. Recommended would be:
- Official SBB statement on contract award
- Stadler Rail annual report for current key figures
- Rail industry trade media for market analysis
Source List
- Original source: "Das hat Peter Spuhler nicht verdient" - Die Weltwoche, https://weltwoche.ch/story/das-hat-peter-spuhler-nicht-verdient/
- Additional sources: Not available due to incomplete article text
- Facts checked: on 13.11.2025
Brief Summary
SBB's award of a billion-dollar contract to Siemens instead of the successful Swiss company Stadler Rail raises fundamental questions about the procurement practices of state enterprises. The decision not only harms an innovative domestic industrial company, but also leads to economic losses through lost tax revenue. A transparent review of the award criteria is urgently needed.
Three Key Questions
Transparency: What specific criteria led to the preference for Siemens over Stadler Rail - and were these criteria economically sensible?
Responsibility: How can we prevent state enterprises like SBB from systematically favoring foreign suppliers and thereby weakening the domestic industrial base?
Innovation: Does SBB's procurement practice endanger the innovation capacity and competitiveness of successful Swiss technology companies in the international market?