SWITZERLAND: SBB Cargo will take its 21 Re 484 locomotives out of service at the December timetable change and offer them on the international market. Its new production model for single wagonload traffic, starting on 13 December, needs fewer mainline locomotives, the operator says.
SBB Cargo, the freight operator of Swiss Federal Railways (SBB), announced the move in an update to its rolling stock strategy. The Re 484 are Bombardier Traxx locomotives approved for both Switzerland and Italy. SBB has not named a buyer, a price or a timetable for the sale.
The new model comes with the same timetable change under which SBB Cargo stops serving 50 freight points.
A smaller fleet
SBB Cargo’s mainline fleet will consist of Re 420 and Re 620 locomotives and Siemens Vectron units (Class 193). Stadler’s Re 494 is due to join from the end of 2027.
The 10 remaining H3 shunting locomotives have been going back to their lessor, LokRoll 2, since August. SBB expects to choose a supplier for up to 55 hybrid shunting locomotives this autumn.
Break-even with less traffic
SBB’s freight business broke even in the first half of 2026, with a result of CHF 2m. SBB named federal support for domestic wagonload, efficiency gains, higher transport prices and sales of rolling stock among the reasons, while domestic volumes kept falling.
SBB Cargo AG is to be folded into SBB’s balance sheet from 1 January 2027 as part of a new freight division, Freight Services.