Rail Transport

Hundreds demonstrate in Chiasso, Ticino, against cuts to SBB Cargo

The demonstration in Chiasso was organized at the initiative of the “No to the Downsizing of SBB Cargo in Ticino” committee and the labor unions.

Keystone

Several hundred people demonstrated in Chiasso on Friday evening against the restructuring of SBB Cargo in Ticino. A decision by the SBB Executive Board on May 19 calls for the elimination of 200 jobs across Switzerland, 40 of them in Ticino alone.

Keystone-SDA

12.06.2026, 21:05•12.06.2026, 21:58

The measure calls for the closure of the locomotive depot in Chiasso and the freight transport centers in Balerna and Maroggia, south of Lugano, by 2027, which would result in the loss of 40 jobs. According to SBB, these are not layoffs in the strict sense, but rather transfers to other locations or to subsidiaries.

In a letter dated June 10 to SBB management, the Committee Against SBB Cargo Cuts in Ticino denounced the critical situation in the canton: By 2028, the situation could worsen further with a total reduction of around 350 full-time positions, the letter states. This development is unacceptable for a canton that represents Switzerland’s most important Alpine corridor and the gateway to Italy and the Mediterranean.

However, SBB disputes this figure, as a spokesperson told the Keystone-SDA news agency on Friday evening.

Cantonal Parliament Opposes Cuts

The committee noted that on Thursday, the Ticino cantonal parliament passed a resolution opposing the downsizing of SBB Cargo in Ticino with 87 percent of the vote. This resolution was also adopted by the State Council.

The committee called on SBB management to preserve existing jobs, maintain current wage conditions, establish a national center for railway safety in Chiasso, and build a center of excellence for rail transport in Ticino.

In a statement released on Friday, SBB clarified that the Chiasso site remains important for SBB Cargo. The locations for freight transport personnel and vehicle maintenance would be retained, while the location for locomotive engineers would indeed be closed as of early 2027, and its employees would be transferred to Bellinzona.