Million dollar order to Planzer: SBB transports skis to the mountains with trucks

The public transport industry moves approximately 350,000 pieces of luggage each year, and about half of these occur in the winter. Customers expect not only comfort but also a clear conscience from this offer; rail is considered synonymous with sustainability.

But now the green idyll is showing cracks. Blick’s research shows that SBB transported its passengers’ luggage into the mountains in trucks. For this purpose, the railway has the support of the transport company Planzer. Last week, the tender for the relevant tender worth 2.5 million francs was published in Simap, the information system for public procurement.

“This amount includes five years of social benefits,” an SBB spokesperson explains when asked. In the regions of northeastern Switzerland, Zurich, Aargau, Basel and Bern, this includes public transport, i.e. collections and deliveries at train stations, as well as “long-distance journeys” from Zurich to Valais and Graubeğen. Planzer trucks are used on these routes.

Not designed for high season

SBB explains the need for external support with large amounts of luggage only during the winter sports season, which lasts from mid-January to mid-March. “The SBB production system is not designed for this summit,” says the spokesperson.

However, Federal Railways emphasizes that transportation by trucks is not the norm and that luggage is transported “predominantly” by rail: “The public transport sector currently transports luggage on average 70 percent by rail and 30 percent by street across all offers.”

The high rate of roads may surprise many people. However, SBB cannot be accused of false labeling. Within the scope of “Conditions and Notes”, the company makes road transportation transparent, albeit at the last stage.

Unrivaled

However, the million-dollar contract given to Planzer raises other questions, as it was awarded privately, that is, without a public tender. This is a bit complicated because there is a strategic partnership between Swiss Combi and SBB Cargo, 40 percent of which is owned by Planzer.

In Simap, SBB directly explained the reason for the award, saying that there was “no suitable alternative” to Planzer for the purchased transportation services. At the Zurich-Altstetten train station, only the logistics company in the canton of Schwyz has the necessary “infrastructure with rail network connection”.

“For efficient and timely logistics, we need an external separation point and road and rail connection for SBB cargo special trains near the city of Zurich,” the media office added to Blick.
SBB also points out that its winter season collaboration with Planzer has been going on for “years”.