General cargo is on the rise. Manufacturing companies are producing on demand, trade companies are processing components on a just-in-time basis and customers are increasingly placing orders via e-commerce solutions and online portals. This means manufacturers and retailers are choosing to store fewer goods themselves, as land is expensive and they don’t want to tie up capital in storage infrastructure. This development favours innovations such as our rail-ready ‘Cityliner’ trailer.
Time and effort saved
In Dietikon, our transshipment logistics specialists load the trailer with general cargo headed for Ticino in the correct unloading order. The dispatch division simultaneously communicates the delivery date to the end customer. A high-performance SBB Cargo forklift picks up the fully loaded trailer at the goods station in Dietikon and places it on the rail wagon. Now it’s sent on to Ticino by rail. Once it arrives, the towing vehicle from Ticino can connect directly to the trailer and head off to the first delivery point. To put it another way, we can cut out a complete transshipment and the administrative effort for the last mile in Ticino.
Mean and lean in XXL
Our fleet newcomer – 11.7 metres long, 2.6 metres wide and 4 metres high – was specially manufactured for Planzer by the company Wecon. We are proud to also be the official importer. For the aficionados: in the field of vehicle approval, Planzer is authorised to sign test reports (form 13.20A) for vehicles with type approval/data sheet number 9WB305. The trailer is the first of its kind in Europe, offering space for 27 pallets and a maximum load capacity of 14.8 tonnes.
Our ‘Cityliner’ is equipped with two mounting points and a steering axle, while the chassis has additional reinforcement. It does not require a special towing vehicle for connection. With its technically intelligent design, the ‘Cityliner’ remains manoeuvrable and is particularly well-suited for delivering general cargo in urban areas.
An innovation in Swiss general cargo transport
In the past, semi-trailers have been used mostly for partial and complete loads in international freight. The ‘Cityliner’ is an innovation for Switzerland in combined road/rail transport. We are currently using it on the Dietikon–Bioggio route. Once the pilot project is successfully completed, it will additionally be rolled out on the Dietikon–Chavornay and Dietikon–Geneva routes. Severin Baer, our Head of National Transport, on the subject: ‘The Cityliner pilot project is highly promising. I feel sure that we will soon be rolling out this concept, for the sake of the environment and our future.’
All lined up
The ‘Cityliner’ lives up to its name: it is suited to the city and fits our strategic focal points of sustainability and innovation right down the line. That’s because, as a family company, we are committed to low-emission transport solutions such as rail, and innovative, technology-based solutions for sustainable delivery throughout Switzerland.
