The four family-owned companies Galliker, Planzer, Bertschi and Camion Transport are taking a 35% stake in SBB Cargo AG under the name «Swiss Combi AG». The companies stand for customer orientation, innovation and market-oriented solutions.
SBB Cargo’s customers will benefit from this accumulated experience as an operator of logistics networks and from its broad customer base. The newly founded company has it in its power to counter the fears expressed in many quarters of further increasing market dominance with complete transparency and competition-oriented action. It can help wagonload traffic, SBB’s core business, to regain momentum after years of decline.
It remains to be seen to what extent the law on the organisation of railway infrastructure passed last year and the associated ordinances will be able to spur the further development of rail freight transport as a whole. The framework conditions for rail freight transport are still poor in the area of planning construction sites and line closures as well as regulating the non-discriminatory operation of sidings and terminals. Also, despite this involvement and the formal independence of SBB Cargo, it remains completely open whether a balanced infrastructure and real estate policy will be possible within the SBB Group in the future or whether it will continue to act unilaterally in favour of passenger traffic.
