SBB reorganizes single-car traffic, 40 jobs affected in Ticino

Context

In brief

• Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) reorganize single wagon traffic
• 40 employees in Ticino will be involved
• Changes also for Chiasso depot

Key facts

• What: Reorganization of SBB's single wagon traffic
• When: By December 2026
• Where: Ticino and throughout Switzerland
• Who: Swiss Federal Railways (SBB)
• Amount: 40 employees in Ticino

SBB announced last Friday that they will strengthen single wagon traffic (SWT) by December 2026, a key move in the reshaping of freight traffic. The reorganization of SWT, currently struggling with losses, is a crucial step in the overhaul of SBB's freight traffic. From the timetable change on December 13, 2026, SWT will become significantly more efficient. The goal is to have a self-financing freight traffic by 2033, as set by the Confederation, which owns SBB.

Nationally, about 50 service points with too low demand will no longer be used for SWT but will continue to be served on request by complete trains. SBB will ensure almost unchanged volumes (98%) and much more profitable thanks to higher train occupancy.

The reorganization of SWT will affect about 200 employees throughout Switzerland, including about 40 in Ticino. SBB offers a solution to all affected persons: another workplace at SBB Cargo Switzerland, a different role within SBB, in an affiliated company or partner railway, or a professional retraining within SBB. In this context, SBB strictly adheres to the collective labor agreement (CLA). Dismissals will be an exception.

The upcoming changes will mainly involve relocations of operational staff's workplace. Currently, SBB has too many specialists concentrated in some regions and too few in others. The company must deploy its workforce where there are goods to transport. Therefore, the workplace of the locomotive and shunting staff of eleven sites with very low traffic volume or few employees will change. This includes the locomotive staff of Brig, Buchs SG, and Chiasso, as well as the shunting staff of Thun, Rothenburg, Yverdon, Payerne, Fribourg, Delémont, Martigny, and Wil. According to plans, the sites of Schaffhausen and Frauenfeld will be maintained, respectively until 2028 and until 2029.

SBB's goal is to keep as many employees as possible within SBB and deploy them according to needs. Therefore, workplace relocations are favored. Furthermore, SBB is constantly looking for personnel in freight traffic to cope with the wave of retirements. Therefore, about 300 new employees will be needed for freight traffic in the coming years.

Meeting with the Ticino government requested For the situation in our canton, the 'No to the dismantling of FFS Cargo in Ticino' committee has convened a public assembly tonight at 8:30 PM at the Cinema Teatro in Chiasso, but not only. MPM deputy Matteo Pronzini (on behalf of the committee) wrote to the Council of State requesting 'an urgent meeting to discuss jointly the actions to be taken to prevent FFS from making further job cuts in our canton.' The reason? 'We must acknowledge that for the moment FFS is deaf to the legitimate and justified requests expressed by the Canton of Ticino.'

Operational details

Implications for cross-border workers

The reorganization of the single-carriage traffic of the FFS could have consequences for cross-border workers who work in the freight transport sector in Ticino. With 40 employees involved, there may be changes in work shifts or workplaces, which could affect the daily life of cross-border workers. Furthermore, the increase in train occupancy could lead to an improvement in the service, with possible benefits for commuters.

Changes in workplace location

As mentioned in the source, the changes will mainly concern the workplace location of operational staff. If you are a cross-border worker working in the freight transport sector, you may be affected by these changes. You may need to move to another location to continue working for the FFS. If you are interested in knowing your options, we recommend that you contact the FFS directly for further information.

Possible benefits for commuters

The increase in train occupancy could lead to an improvement in the service, with possible benefits for commuters. If you are a commuter who uses trains to travel between Italy and Switzerland, you may see improvements in punctuality and frequency. However, it is important to note that these improvements will depend on the effectiveness of the reorganization and the adoption of changes by the FFS.

Recommended tools

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Key points

What to do if you're interested

If you're a cross-border worker interested in the news about the reorganization of single-car traffic by the FFS, we recommend the following:

1. Contact the FFS directly for detailed information on changes and available options. You can find the FFS contacts on their official website. 2. Check your work contract and the conditions of your G permit or B permit to understand how these changes might affect your situation. 3. If you're a commuter, keep an eye on updates about changes to rail services and plan your trips accordingly.

Salary Calculator

To help you understand how these changes might affect your salary, we recommend using our salary calculator. Simply enter some information about your salary and taxes to get an estimate of your net salary. The calculator takes into account Swiss and Italian taxes, making it a useful tool for cross-border workers.

💡 Use our salary calculator to understand how the FFS reorganization might affect your salary

Source: ticinonews.ch