SWISS Federal Railways (SBB) has announced new measures to reduce the operating costs of its loss-making single wagonload freight business to help meet the government’s requirement for freight traffic to be profitable by 2033 compared with an overall loss of SFr 126m ($US 156m) last year.
Under what it describes as a new production model, SBB plans to redeploy around 200 locomotive drivers and shunting staff working at 11 locations with very low traffic volumes or few employees. In some areas, SBB says it has too many qualified personnel, while in others, it has too few, so redundancies will be the exception.
“The goal is to retain as many employees as possible and to assign them where needed,” SBB says. The railway estimates it will need around 300 new freight employees in the coming years to address a wave of upcoming retirement.
SBB plans to close around 50 of its 280 freight terminals to wagonload traffic where there is insufficient demand, although they will continue to be served by trainload services if requested by customers.
SBB says it will still be able to transport 98% of the current volume of freight, but in a significantly more cost-effective manner thanks to improved train occupancy. “Rail freight is essential to the country's supply, security, and climate goals,” SBB says. “Without single wagonload traffic, there would be up to one million additional lorry journeys on the road each year.”
SBB says further adjustments to service points and sites are possible in the future, as it adapts to customer demand. “SBB must continue to improve its efficiency,” SBB says. “This is the only way to ensure the long-term competitiveness of rail services, to respond to changes, and to manage the anticipated growth in freight traffic.”
