Letters and parcels in Switzerland will keep travelling on SBB Cargo trains until the end of 2028. The state-owned rail freight operator and Swiss Post extended their contract, which was due to expire in 2026.
The early contract extension comes after an estimated 15 per cent growth in 2024 when it comes to putting mail on rail in Switzerland. The partnership first started in 2022, with 60 trains filled with letters and parcels running every day on the Swiss rail network. “In the course of 2023, several new train connections per working day were introduced. The result: around 9 million additional parcels are shifted from road to rail each year”, SBB Cargo underlined.
Mail on rail in Europe
Finding more sustainable ways of delivering mail is not something related only to Switzerland. Ukrainian mail hopped back on freight trains at the end of 2023 after 21 years, while German companies are implementing new services for parcels and has been asking for more mail on rail. However, there are also examples where rail transport of mail was discontinued. For example, the UK’s Royal Mail recently decided to abandon the railways, spurring adverse reactions from the public.