Targeted measures like bird nesting aids to expand local populations of swallows and swifts, bat boxes and small structures in green spaces are set up to promote biodiversity in settlement areas.

Enhancing selected green spaces and creating biodiversity strips and ruderal locations promotes ecological connections for the species indigenous to these habitats. At the same time, it also creates valuable areas with a high potential for biodiversity. Even the smallest spaces can function as stepping stone biotopes in settlement areas. Planting shrubs on larger green spaces increases the richness of their structures. The targeted selection of indigenous woody plants supports local bird species like the red-backed shrike, which is dependent on briars.

Creating targeted space for tall-growing perennial herbaceous plants supports the species of insects that depend on them for food or use their branches as a habitat for their eggs or chrysalises. These insects include various indigenous butterflies such as the swallow-tail.

Der Siedlungsraum kann eine Vielzahl Pflanzen- und Tierarten beheimaten. Es ist das Netzwerk kleiner und grosser The settlement area can be home to a variety of plant and animal species. The network of smaller and larger unsealed spaces offers plants and animals in the settlement area valuable habitats.

Historically, the proportion of sealed and tarmacked surfaces in station areas is large. In future projects, SBB is focusing on unsealing and revegetation in the planning phase. It is working on sharpening up planning procedures and further developing them. Where renovation work is to take place in outside spaces, unsealing and revegetation measures will be evaluated and undertaken, where possible, within the project perimeter. 

The focus of unsealing and revegetation will be on using the synergies between biodiversity promotion, liveability, water balance optimisation and the controlling of heat island creation on hot summer days. Accordingly, the natural cooling effect of green spaces will be considered in the planning phase, as well as the local infiltration of rainwater. 

Sealed surfaces are then only created when absolutely necessary. Revegetation is done with indigenous plants suitable to the location. The biodiversity value of unsealed surfaces will be consciously maximised.

SBB is in the process of further expanding planning procedures that optimise the proportion of unsealed surfaces and revegetation in future projects and anchoring them at all levels in the processes.

Through targeted maintenance and nature-friendly design, SBB provides a valuable contribution to supporting and promoting biodiversity in our settlement areas. The type, frequency and timing of maintenance measures play a vital role in the diversity and incidence levels of invertebrates and in the composition of the local plant community. The previous focus on vertebrates will increasingly be enhanced through the targeted support of invertebrates through nature-friendly design and the more extensive management of spaces in settlement areas.

SBB is in the process of adapting its management style throughout Switzerland to promote biodiversity. With this in mind, the frequency, height and timing of cutting will be adjusted, and year-long retreat areas will be left unmown.

Invasive plant species are also found on SBB land. Keeping them in check is a crucial factor in promoting biodiversity. Specialist handling of invasive alien species is part of SBB’s green space maintenance plan.

During the night, excessive artificial light outdoors can significantly impact the search for food, breeding patterns and the physiological functions of birds, bats, amphibians, small mammals and invertebrates – and flora is also affected by light emissions.

Lighting is to be planned so that it is only used where functionally necessary. Lighting duration and intensity are reduced to the minimum required and are adjusted seasonally.

SBB is currently planning the nature-friendly management of its green spaces and will introduce this around its real estate. This switch will take place in 2026 at selected pilot stations in French-speaking Switzerland. The switch throughout Switzerland is planned for the vegetation periods in 2027 and 2028. It will provide small animals and insects with more habitat and a greater provision of food. Parallel to this, the control of invasive neophytes will be increasingly systematised and strengthened on SBB land.

SBB is also reworking its planning procedures for outside spaces around railway stations to increase the share of unsealed and revegetated areas in future projects.