It implements the policies of the government (Federal Council), parliament and the Swiss electorate (sovereign) in these areas.

The office employs 350 people (as of 2023) in five divisions: Business Administration and Organisation, Infrastructure, Finance, Safety and Policy.

In addition, this supervisory role also comes into play when dealing with planning approvals, concessions and the granting of operating licences, as well as when issuing or updating regulations, for example in the area of cyber security.

The FOT allocates around CHF 1 billion per year from the federal budget for non-profitable regional passenger transport services (suburban railways, intercity buses, etc.)

The Office also implements and continuously develops the modal shift policy, i.e. the transfer of freight transport through the Alps from road to rail.

It is also responsible for creating the legal and planning framework for an underground freight transport system and for numerous other tasks.