The Rhaetian Railway (RhB) plays a central role in Graubünden. It is renowned for its picturesque routes and is held in high regard worldwide. A third of the rail network lies at an altitude of 1,500 metres above sea level. This presents particular challenges in every season, which ISS Switzerland, as a facilities management provider, has been tackling for the past year.
People travel from all over the world to ride this mountain railway, one-third of whose route network is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For the people of Graubünden themselves, the RhB holds great sentimental value:
“Everyone here knows or is related to someone who once worked for the RhB. Moreover, the Rhaetian Railway has connected the people of the canton to the rest of Switzerland”
Tobias Hess, Head of Real Estate at RhB
Expertise, Experience, and Flexibility
Expertise, experience, and flexibility Tobias Hess describes the RhB as a thoroughly demanding client: “We’re dealing with a project involving unique topographical conditions, which in itself presents challenges. On top of that, punctuality and reliability play a crucial role. ISS supports us in ensuring that we can offer our customers a well-functioning, well-maintained, and clean rail service.”
When the RhB decided on a new FM provider a year ago, expertise, experience, and flexibility played a decisive role: “From the very beginning, ISS signaled that it is adaptable and capable of addressing client needs that are not run-of-the-mill. “That was crucial for us,” Hess continued. In addition, the RhB benefits from synergies created by other ISS contracts in Graubünden, as well as from the expertise that ISS already brought to the table: “The rail business is no trivial matter; safety is a major concern, for example when working with high-voltage systems. Since ISS has been working for SBB, among others, for quite some time, we appreciate that they already possess the relevant expertise.”
“The collaboration with ISS is going very well. We appreciate their open and straightforward approach.”
Tobias Hess, Head of Real Estate at RHB
115tunnels
58,696 meters total length
606 bridges
16,411 meters total width
Innovation and Sustainability
With the opening of its first line in 1889 (Landquart–Klosters), the RhB undoubtedly holds historical significance. Yet its long history and the tradition associated with it have nothing to do with stagnation or antiquity. On the contrary: “We are currently investing large sums in rolling stock, renovating existing tunnels, and have built a new one - the Albula Tunnel II - and, with over 60 new, state-of-the-art multiple-unit trains, we are in the midst of the largest fleet procurement in our history. That is why it is important to us that our facility management aligns with this innovative spirit of the times and supports us in projecting the image of a modern, high-quality railway operation to the outside world. ISS and RhB have committed to achieving this goal together and driving innovation forward,” explains Hess.
This shared commitment is particularly evident in the area of sustainability. Tobias Hess: “Energy efficiency and reducing CO2 emissions are issues that are very important to us. That’s why we’re currently working with ISS’s energy consultants to identify areas where we can optimize our operations in terms of environmental sustainability.”
3 Questions for Armin Bergamin
Facility Services Director, with ISS since June 1, 2003
How has ISS adapted its services to meet the client’s challenges?
Some of our employees travel up to 200 kilometers a day. This means the routes must be planned very carefully to ensure comprehensive service coverage. In winter, a route can take significantly longer than in spring due to weather conditions - that must also be taken into account. For the RhB contract, we use only four-wheel-drive vehicles, as this is the only way we can guarantee that we’ll reach all the stations under our care.
What is the profile of the ISS employees working for the Rhaetian Railway?
On the one hand, there are technicians who primarily work in the operational buildings. Then we have our custodians who make the rounds at the train stations: They perform custodial and grounds maintenance tasks, take care of underpasses and platforms, and in some cases also clean the public restroom facilities. Our key roles include a Cleaning Manager, who is responsible for cleaning at the administrative building in Chur and the operational site in Landquart; two Property Managers at the RhB administrative building; and a Facility Services Manager, who oversees the operational management of the entire contract throughout the canton.
The partnership has been in place for about a year now: What are you proud of?
Recruiting was a major challenge given the current tight labor market. That’s why we’re proud to now have a well-functioning and very stable team of 25 people. Furthermore, the RhB is an incredibly dynamic project. Due to the changing seasons and the resulting needs of the client, our scope of services changes practically every month. This requires adjustments to our planning and, when necessary, additional training for our employees.
