Swiss Federal Railways, DaimlerChrysler and Mobility CarSharing have launched a carpool service designated RailLink, which offers rail passengers local car hire from 42 Swiss stations. SBB has a 55% stake in the venture, which involved an investment of SFr2·5m. Cars can be reserved by telephone or internet, and must be booked at least 1 h in advance.
Users will pay an annual subscription fee of SFr111 for a smart card giving access to the vehicles, plus usage charges of SFr2·70 per hour and SFr 0·5 per kilometer to cover the cost of fuel and insurance. The initial fleet will consist of 75 DaimlerChrysler ’Smart’ cars, with options for a further 325 if the scheme proves successful. RailLink expects the main use will be among passengers travelling 15 to 20 km from the station.
