Titus Bütler is Head of Transport at Post CH AG and has been responsible for all letter, parcel and newspaper transport by rail and road in Switzerland since the beginning of 2022. Previously, he managed the Frauenfeld parcel center for over 20 years, where up to half a million parcels are processed daily. He also designed the network expansion with the new parcel centers in Cadenazzo, Vétroz, Untervaz and Ostermundigen. In an interview with VAP, he explains the importance of rail transport for Swiss Post.
Here’s what it’s all about:
- How high is the share of rail in the modal split at Swiss Post?
- Customer demand for fast delivery is increasing
- “Pain points”, or optimization potential in rail freight transport
- Swiss Post is the European leader in the transport of goods by rail
VAP: Mr. Bütler, Swiss Post’s yellow trains are striking. More and more, yellow trucks can also be seen on the roads. Is this impression deceptive?
Titus Bütler: Our trucks with the yellow containers do attract attention. Our customers are increasingly demanding fast delivery: picked up in the evening and delivered the next morning. So we’re not talking about 24-hour delivery, but about 15 to 20 hours – and that to any place in Switzerland, whether urban or rural. So we are under time pressure throughout the supply chain. This makes it difficult to bundle parcel volumes to fill entire trains. We choose to go by rail wherever it makes ecological and economic sense. Around 50 percent of all letters and parcels already make at least part of their journey by train. A short train with one or two wagons makes no sense – not even ecologically.
What is stopping Swiss Post from using rail for the transports we see on the road?
We are working with our transport partner SBB-Cargo to shift more parcel shipments back onto rail. We need fast and regular express routes. The average speed of some postal trains is below 50km/h, even though we have fast rolling stock and run light trains. That is too slow.
How do you see the future of postal logistics, will there be more by rail or by road?
We clearly want to bring more volume onto the railways, especially on the west-east axis.
Swiss Post’s newly planned centers do not have rail connections. Why?
In recent years, we have put several small parcel centers into operation. Terminals require land, make the project more expensive and delay realization. Planning and construction were carried out under time pressure: in some cases, less than 2 years passed between the decision on the location and the opening. Where possible, however, we use terminals in the vicinity, e.g. in the case of Cadenazzo, the SBB terminal. Parcels to and from southern Switzerland travel by rail.
Parcels and letters are not considered so-called “rail-affine” goods. What competencies do you have as Swiss Post, as a shipper, to ensure that these goods are nevertheless transported by rail?
We are the only postal service in Europe that transports such goods by rail on a large scale. The prerequisite is that the inclusion of rail is already taken into account in the design and – even more important – that there is an infrastructure that allows fast freight trains with high punctuality at all. We have experts in our team who are very familiar with rail freight transport.
Swiss Post has the same owner as SBB Cargo. Is this more of an opportunity/simplification for you? How would you describe this relationship?
The transports were put out to public tender. The ownership does not play a role. We have a clear customer-supplier relationship, just like other transport companies. Our requirements in terms of punctuality and reliability are very high and we are very satisfied with the services provided by SBB Cargo.
If the fairy godmother were to grant you one logistical wish, what would it be?
I would wish for regular and fast train paths on the west-east axis.
How would you describe the VAP?
We are one of the largest siding owners and one of the largest rail shippers in Switzerland. The VAP represents their legitimate interests at various levels and networks the players among themselves.
What strengths do you attribute to the VAP?
The VAP is indispensable for the political work of all players in rail freight transport.
To whom would you recommend cooperation with the VAP?
Every company that owns tracks or wagons or is active in rail freight transport – whether as a customer or as an RU – benefits from the VAP.
What has not been said yet:
Our mail trains are important to us. We use them to connect Switzerland quickly, reliably and ecologically. That is why it is important to us that the image of slow and often spray-painted freight trains does not rub off on our mail trains.
