DURRENASCH, Switzerland: August 30, 2019. Four family-owned Swiss logistics companies, Planzer, Camion Transport, Galliker and Bertschi, have formed a joint venture called Swiss Combi to acquire a 35 percent stake in Swiss rail freight business SBB Cargo.

The move follows the state-owned Swiss rail company SBB setting up SBB Cargo as an independent unit within the group in January this year.

The four companies move significant volumes in Switzerland’s international road and rail freight markets and say they have a mutual interest in developing further a sustainable modal split between rail and road.

Subject to regulatory approval, the deal is expected to close by the Spring of next year with SBB retaining 65 percent in SBB Cargo and three members on its new Board of directors. The four new shareholders will continue to operate independently outside the joint-venture.

Bertschi moves 80 percent of its European freight volumes via intermodal rail transport and the company says it plans to utilize its decade-long experience to develop SBB Cargo throughout Europe.

SBB generates approximately 25 percent of Swiss freight volume and SBB Cargo accounts for almost 16 percent of this total. Founded in 1999, the company moves 29.8 million net tons of cargo annually in wagonload traffic, company trains, and intermodal traffic within Switzerland – the equivalent of 10,000 full truck loads per day. Last year it  generated revenue of CHF 742 million.

Founded in Switzerland in 1956, Bertschi specialises in liquids and dry bulk transportation with an annual turnover of CHF975 million.