We Alpinists are focused.

Innnovativ

Founded in 2001 as challenger in the rail freight market, BLS Cargo has brought European partners on board and developed into an important corridor operator in rail freight traffic. We’re rooted in the heart of Europe and focus our business on the major rail freight axes in Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and Italy. And all this with the perfect size as a flexible challenger in the rail freight market.

More than 20 years of experience

After growing up in Switzerland, we’re now an international rail freight operator with our own subsidiaries in Belgium, Germany, Italy and Switzerland.

Symboldbild_von Bern nach Europa_Lötschberg-Basistunnel

From Bern to Europe

Founded in 2001 in Bern (Switzerland), we grew strongly in the following years with the liberalisation of rail freight transportation in Europe. Today, we run around 22,000 trains a year and connect the important industries and terminals in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Switzerland.

network map

The perfect size

With our 400 employees, 150 locomotives and our focused presence in Western Europe, we’re the perfect size. We’re one of the important challengers in the European rail freight market and advocate for a functioning market; we’re committed to shifting freight traffic from road to rail. 

vertrauensvolle Partnerschaften

Partnerships and a clear vision

Together with our shareholders BLS, Captrain Holding and Ambrogio Trasporti, we are pursuing a clear vision: “With our passion in rail freight we're the customer’s first choice for sustainable, safe and performant rail freight services”.

21,600

trains operated

270 million CHF

turnover

150

own locomotives

3

subsidiaries

BLS Cargo comprises a total of three subsidiaries: BLS Cargo Italia (2006), BLS Cargo Deutschland (2007) and Crossrail Benelux (2019).

414

full-time positions

Of these, 37% work in Belgium, 28% in Switzerland, 23% in Germany and 12% in Italy.

51%

market share

Challengers in the European rail freight market hold a market share of 48%. We’re an important part of it.

Management BLS Cargo Group

The BLS Cargo management team and the CEOs of the subsidiaries are committed to smooth freight transport together with their teams.
Dirk Stahl

Dr. Dirk Stahl

CEO BLS Cargo, President of BA BLS Cargo Italia, Crossrail Benelux, Deputy CEO BLS

Dirk Pfister

Dr. Dirk Pfister

Product Management/Sales, Deputy CEO

Stefanie Burri

Stefanie Burri

Staff/Communication

Marco Guntern

Marco Guntern

Finances, Member of BA BLS Cargo Italia, Crossrail Benelux

Stephan Moll

Stephan Moll

Production/Purchasing, Member of BA BLS Cargo Italia

Sarah Micucci

Sarah Micucci

Managing Director BLS Cargo Italia

Marco Pagani

Marco Pagani

Asset Management

Roland Rieder

Roland Rieder

Security

Roger Schwizer

Roger Schwizer

HR Partner

Markus Zgraggen

Markus Zgraggen

CEO Crossrail Benelux

Board of administration

Daniel Schafer

President of BA BLS Cargo, CEO BLS

Frédéric Delorme

Vice-President of BA BLS Cargo, Chairman Rail Logistics Europe

Giulia Ambrogio

Member of BA BLS Cargo, Group Marketing Executive Ambrogio Trasporti

Nicolas Gindt

Member of BA BLS Cargo, CEO Captrain Holding

Dieter Schneiderbauer

Member of BA BLS Cargo, Managing Partner ECM Ventures

Safety & responsibility

Safety and security
Reliability and safety in railway operations are of central importance to us. We strive for the highest level of safety and work on our positive safety culture every day. Trust, confidentiality, transparency and fairness are at the centre of our Just Culture. We recognise that people can make mistakes. Our aim is to recognise and correct systemic problem areas that have contributed to an unsafe situation. The aim is to prevent future recurrences and improve the system.

Integrated management system
We operate an integrated management system consisting of quality, safety and maintenance management and are regularly audited and certified (ISO 9001:2015 (BLS Cargo); SQAS (Crossrail Benelux), ECM, SMETA). We are also certified as an "Authorised Economic Operator" (AEO). 

Responsibility
BLS Cargo's rail freight transport services in Europe reduce the burden on the environment, conserve resources and, in contrast to road freight transport, cause comparatively low CO2 emissions. The BLS Sustainability Report 2023 provides a detailed insight (German only). 

Compliance
BLS Cargo complies with the applicable regulations and laws and behaves in an ethically correct manner. The compliance management system is based on the pillars of prevention, detection and reaction. The Code of Conduct is based on the aspect of prevention. It contains instructions and serves as a guideline for all employees of BLS Cargo and its subsidiaries on how to behave correctly towards colleagues, suppliers, customers and other stakeholders, even in difficult situations.

BLS Cargo has an externally supervised whistleblowing reporting centre. This reporting centre is available to all employees, suppliers, partners and customers of BLS Cargo Switzerland and BLS Cargo Italia. Every report is followed up. 
 

Internationally positioned

The shareholder base of BLS Cargo consists of three shareholders: BLS 52%, Captrain Holding 45%, Ambrogio Trasporti 3%.

BLS Cargo owns 100% of the shares in the following subsidiaries:

BLS Cargo Deutschland

BLS Cargo Deutschland was founded in 2007 with headquarters in Weil am Rhein (D) and provides services on BLS Cargo trains in the Basel area. 

BLS Cargo Italia

BLS Cargo Italia was founded in 2006 with headquarters in Domodossola II (I). Since 2018, BLS Cargo Italia has held a railway licence and provides services in Domodossola as well as driver services between Domodossola and Spiez (CH) for BLS Cargo trains.