Published on 5 February 2026
FAQ
The most frequently asked questions about Transportation Network CH and the answers to them.
Use and availability
If you are interested in a specific application of Transportation Network CH, please contact the project team at vnch@swisstopo.ch.
Once the Transportation Network CH tools are available for public use, organisations can use them independently and, for example, create specialised networks themselves from their data, edit them, make them publicly available via Transportation Network CH and combine them with other mobility data. These tools are currently still under development.
The “swissTNE Base” basic network is already available as a download for free use.
The workload varies depending on what users want to implement with the data and tools from Transportation Network CH:
If they want to use the data provided, the effort required is relatively low. The “swissTNE Base” basic Network is already freely available.
A certain amount of initial effort is required to reference an organisation's proprietary data to the basic network or to link traffic data from different sources. Once this has been done, users can benefit from several advantages:
- You save a lot of time when combining data, as the process is highly automated, eliminating the need for numerous manual corrections.
- Some data combinations even become possible for the first time.
- Users have access to a high-quality, stable geodatabase that will be updated continuously and transparently in the future and will continue to grow with the addition of specialised networks.
If, for example, a canton has incomplete geometries in its own data (e.g. if connections are missing in the road and route network, or if route sections have not or not yet been recorded), those responsible can instead use the basic network as a geodata basis. This saves them the effort of making corrections later on. If, for example, a public body wants to combine data from different offices, it can use the Transportation Network CH tools to do this in future and does not have to do so manually or have their own tool developed.
Yes, the aim is for Transportation Network CH to become permanently established and continuously expanded. The operation of Transportation Network CH is expected to be legally enshrined in the Federal Act on Mobility Data Infrastructure (MODIG) from 2028 onwards.
Structurally, swisstopo will also ensure that the Transportation Network CH products can be used in the long term: Using pilot products, the project team has collected and will continue to collect feedback from selected users to build a stable and proven system in the long term. For example, attributes (properties such as creation date, revisions or content-related data specifications) should always have the same name.
Transportation Network CH should be free and easy for everyone to use. For this reason, the data (basic Network, central specialised Networks) provided by Transportation Network CH will be made available openly and free of charge. This also applies to the tools, which are provided in an open-source, editable and freely usable form – as far as this is reasonable and possible. However, it should be noted that some of the tools developed are based on closed-source software such as ArcGIS and FME.
The Federal Act on Mobility Data Infrastructure (MODIG) guarantees the free use of the Transportation Network CH data and tools for the first years of operation. In accordance with MODIG, a review is set to be conducted eight years after the act enters into force to determine where the incremental development of MODI results in tangible, distributable added value for users and whether charging fees in the sense of greater financing by users after 12 years is justified
Available and processable data formats
The Transportation Network CH tools can process the most common formats for geodata (GeoPackage GPKG, Shapefile SHP and ESRI File Geodatabase FGDB). Where appropriate, the project team will add other formats. Point data, polylines and areas can be referenced.
The basic network is currently available for download in FGDB and GPKG format. The basic network will be able to be dynamically integrated at a late point in time.
Required expertise
The tools that Transportation Network CH provides for referencing mobility data to the basic network and for combining specialised networks are expert tools. They offer numerous setting options that improve the referencing and combination results. Being familiar with (your own) geodata makes them easier to use.
For example, you have to decide whether only parts of your own data should be referenced or which attributes and which of the algorithms provided are particularly suitable for obtaining the most accurate matches possible. The project team will continuously further develop the tools, add application aids and provide support to make them as user-friendly as possible.
No, users can use their own data or freely accessible data from third parties and reference this to the basic network using the “Matcher” tool. The original data is retained and its structure is not changed.
Users can then combine the data with other data that is also referenced (“matched”) to the basic network (using the “Combiner” tool).
Transportation Network CH therefore primarily offers tools for combining data. The data contained in Transportation Network CH (e.g. street names) is an additional service. On the one hand, it serves to improve the matching process. On the other hand, it offers more combination options. This is particularly interesting for users who have little or no data of their own.
Quality
The data that can be combined using Transportation Network CH tools comes from the users themselves (in the form of their own or purchased data), is open data or is provided voluntarily by third parties. In other words, the more people take part and make their data publicly available, the more combinations are possible. The data will always remain in the possession of the original owners. These owners are also responsible for ensuring the quality and topicality of their data.
Basic network
The data provided by Transportation Network CH with the basic network comes primarily from swisstopo’s topographic landscape model of Switzerland (swissTLM3D).
Specialised networks of Transportation Network CH
Further central specialised networks that Transportation Network CH will provide in future will also be derived largely from official geodata, e.g. the official address register.
Specialised networks of third parties
In the future, third parties (public and private organisations) will also be able to make their spatial mobility data available for use as specialised networks via Transportation Network CH – either for everyone, for a selected group or only for their own organisation. This will make it possible for cantons, municipalities and cities, for example, to link the data from their area of responsibility, make it accessible to others and thus enhance its value.
Quality of the basic network data
The basic network is currently generated from official data from swisstopo, specifically from the topographic landscape model of Switzerland (swissTLM3D). The data is subject to numerous specific quality assurance mechanisms (further information on this topic is available on the swisstopo website: swissTLM3D). swisstopo is working on integrating additional public-sector data sources in order to further develop the basic network in terms of topicality and completeness.
In addition, swisstopo has defined additional quality standards for the basic network. For example, this has to form a coherent network, so that routing can also function correctly. For this purpose, it is subjected to automated topology checks to determine, among other things, whether two intersecting roads actually have a physical connection – or whether it is a bridge that crosses another road, for example.
The basic network is updated periodically and is available for download online. Changes will be entered and made available continuously and promptly in subsequent operation.
In order for the basic network to be used as a reference basis, it is crucial that the properties remain stable and changes are traceable. For this reason, the basic network contains unique and stable object identifiers and a change history.
Find out more about the basic network on the swisstopo website: swissTNE Base.
Quality of specialised network data provided by Transportation Network CH
Depending on the specialised network, the mechanisms for quality control are slightly different. If a specialised network is based on TLM data, the same quality standards apply as for the basic network.
For all other specialised networks provided by Transportation Network CH itself, there are minimum requirements in terms of completeness, uniformity and traceability (quality of the metadata), which swisstopo checks.
Quality of specialised Networks provided publicly by third parties
In the future, it will also be possible for third parties to use the Transportation Network CH tools to create their own specialised networks, use them themselves and make them publicly available. This third-party data is also subjected to fundamental automated plausibility and geometry checks before it can be published as specialised networks. However, the data is not changed during this process. If an error is detected, the data owners receive feedback and can check their data and amend it if necessary. They are therefore responsible for the quality and maintenance of the data they make publicly available. swisstopo will pass on the data source, information on data quality and other metadata in a transparent and traceable manner.
Working together with partner organisations, the project team developed realistic use cases, i.e. scenarios for which Transportation Network CH should offer a solution, e.g. to create a better data basis for blue-light emergency routing. As a result, users were able to incorporate their needs into the project at an early stage. The procedure helped the project team to determine which functionalities are required in practice and which requirements should be taken into account.
Federal Office of Topography swisstopo
Seftigenstrasse 264
3084 Wabern
If you are interested in Transportation Network CH, have specific questions about its use, would like to provide feedback, or have ideas for a specific application, please contact our project team: