Switzerland: efficient railfreight even on the last mile
It is a stone’s throw, the service the Swiss railfreight company SBB Cargo started to run for Feldschlösschen recently. The distance from the brewery’s headquarters in Rheinfelden in Argovia to Rickenbach in Solothurn is about 40 km and thus the shortest stretch on which the brewery has so far shifted its cargo to the railways, the Swiss carrier said.
But the new service is not a model for a sure-fire success, SBB Cargo pointed out. For short distances, railfreight is at a disadvantage compared to road haulage, since it has to factor in higher initial costs.
This particular case is different: on its way to Rickenbach, SBB Cargo can use the existing network and schedule its services very efficiently, offering an eco-friendly alternative and guaranteeing a high degree of reliability and punctuality. (ben)