Photo: SBB
SBB Cargo handles one-seventh of Switzerland's freight traffic, transporting 180,000 tons daily within the country via wagonload, block train, and combined transport. The maintenance facility in Chiasso, renovated at a cost of 12 million Swiss francs, has now been reopened – a significant milestone, according to the company.
The expansion of the maintenance facility south of the Alps, including the reprofiling of SBB locomotives, freight wagons, and multiple units, took 18 months. With a total area of 2,000 square meters, the new workshop is longer and wider than its predecessor. It also features a new fourth track, dedicated to the reprofiling line. The new workshop will employ approximately 30 people: 20 for freight wagon maintenance, eight for reprofiling, and three in technical and administrative roles. This brings the total number of employees at the service facility, including those at the existing locomotive maintenance workshop, to 50. While the new reprofiling team members are being trained for their future tasks on the new production line and modern machinery, maintenance work on the freight wagons is commencing on the three tracks, which are equipped with new pits and modern lifting and crane systems.
“With the expanded freight wagon hall and the new underfloor wheel lathe, we are strengthening our maintenance services for locomotives and freight wagons in Chiasso,” says Jasmin Bigdon, member of the Executive Board responsible for Asset Management at SBB Cargo. “This will allow us to further accelerate maintenance and reduce vehicle downtime – not only for SBB vehicles, but also for maintenance customers who rely on our services along the transit route.”
SBB Cargo’s new workshop was built on the site of the old workshop, which no longer met current requirements after 60 years of service. However, the basic features of the former building were incorporated into the new hall and given a contemporary interpretation. Modern, large-scale glass doors, a sophisticated roof structure, and optimal space utilization ensure a pleasant and safe working environment with plenty of natural daylight. The highlight of the new workshop is the underfloor wheel lathe. With it, SBB Cargo has created a central “one-stop shop” for the reprofiling of locomotives, freight wagons, and multiple units. Thanks to the efficient handling of all work at a single location and the direct return of the vehicles to service after reprofiling, turnaround times for SBB Cargo locomotives can be reduced by up to a third, thus improving vehicle availability. The cross-border TILO trains also benefit from the services offered on the underfloor wheel lathe near their operating area.
www.sbb.ch
