SBB Cargo Switzerland has signed new long-term contracts with several major domestic clients for single wagonload (SWL) services. According to SBB, over 95 percent of existing SWL customers have now committed to continued cooperation under the revised framework.
Additional contracts have been signed with SIPRO (steel), Colas Switzerland (construction), and mobilog, a logistics subsidiary of AMAG (automotive). Negotiations are ongoing with companies across the chemical, construction, steel, food, and timber sectors.
SBB Cargo Switzerland currently transports approximately 11 million tonnes of goods annually via SWL operations, using more than 500,000 wagons. These services form part of a model, which involves assembling freight trains by collecting individual wagons from multiple customers. The volume corresponds to an estimated train length stretching from Zurich to Bangkok if placed end-to-end.
The new contractual structure is described by SBB as part of a broader transformation of its SWL operations, which are undergoing restructuring amid financial pressures. Both single wagonload and combined transport services are running at a loss, while block train services remain financially viable. The company reported losses of CHF 80 million annually (approximately EUR 83 million) from these operations.
In response, SBB is pursuing a revised production model, scheduled to be introduced with the December 2026 timetable change. The approach includes cost-cutting measures, investments in new locomotives and standardised freight wagons, increased automation, and operational consolidation. The federal government is temporarily supporting the transition financially, while customers are expected to accept cost-covering tariffs.
The company estimates that the SWL traffic prevents up to one million additional truck journeys annually on Swiss roads.
