Rail traffic Solution for all SBB employees in Ticino affected by the cutbacks
SBB has found a solution for the 40 employees in Ticino affected by the cutbacks in freight transport. SBB also announced further changes for staff in Bellinzona. The Ticino government called for an immediate halt to the job cuts.
31.10.2025, 13:57
31.10.2025, 17:30
SDA
SBB announced on Friday that "individual solutions" had been sought for the 40 employees affected. These include combined employment at the subsidiary Tilo (Treni Regionali Ticino Lombardia) and SBB Cargo Switzerland.
SBB also financed language courses for assignments in other language regions as well as training and further education. In May, SBB's freight division announced the reduction of 65 full-time positions in Switzerland, 40 of which will be eliminated in Ticino.
Changes in several cantons
At a media conference following a meeting between SBB management and the Ticino government on Friday, SBB announced a reorganization of single wagonload services for the timetable change in December 2026. The new production method and the adaptation of the transport network will lead to changes in personnel and locomotive requirements. The number of bases for employees will also be reduced.
Specifically, changes are planned for locomotive personnel in Brig VS, Buchs SG and Chiasso TI as well as for shunting personnel. The exact number of jobs affected will be clarified as part of the consultation process with the social partners. In Ticino, the closure of the Chiasso depot has been feared for some time.
Icy atmosphere at the media conference
At the media conference in Bellinzona, SBB CEO Vincent Ducrot seemed annoyed. He stated several times that the political framework conditions could not be changed. SBB had to deploy its staff where goods needed to be transported. SBB needed efficiency, and Ticino was currently not efficient.
Norman Gobbi (Lega), President of the Ticino cantonal government, expressed his displeasure at the cutbacks. As a public company, SBB could not act solely according to economic criteria - especially not to the detriment of minority regions and national cohesion.
The reorganization of freight transport would in fact mean a loss of operational presence south of the Alps - with consequences for employment and regional development.
The Ticino government is therefore calling for the "immediate suspension" of any further staff reduction measures in Ticino until a political and technical dialog with the cantonal authorities and the social partners has been concluded. It is also insisting on the guarantee of a "stable and qualified operational basis" for freight transport in the southern canton, with a particular focus on the Chiasso hub and the role of Bellinzona.
