THE COMMITMENT OF RIGI BAHNEN

Flowery splendour thanks to extensive embankment maintenance

What does embankment maintenance at RIGI BAHNEN AG have to do with sustainability? «A few things», says Kari Hediger, who together with his team has been committed to extensive embankment maintenance for years. «Thanks to this, there are beautiful flower meadows along the tracks. The shrubs that form part of the nature of the railway line are also cut back annually. In this way, optimal care of the shrubs protects against erosion, against falling rocks and, in winter, against snow slides».

The commitment of Rigi Bahnen
Leiter Fahrbahn

Kari Hediger

Train infrastructure employee, train driver

  • The management of RIGI BAHNEN AG has decided to be certified according to the criteria of the TourCert sustainability seal. The initial certification took place in April 2019, the recertification audit was carried out in December 2021.

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    • Every year, around 60% of our guests travel here by public transport.
    • Guests with a GA travelcard and the Swiss Travel Pass travel free of charge with RIGI BAHNEN AG. With this policy, the company is clearly committed to sustainability and promotes travel by public transport.
    • The older generation of RIGI BAHNEN AG vehicles waste braking energy when travelling downhill. Since 2022, new vehicles have been in use that feed the braking energy back into the company's own grid as electricity and make it usable for trains travelling uphill.
    • RIGI BAHNEN AG obtains 100% of its electricity from renewable energy sources.

  • myclimate «Cause We Care» is an initiative for climate protection and sustainability in Swiss tourism. 

  • The newly renovated railway station building in Vitznau has a photovoltaic system on the extensively renovated flat roof. With the installed system, RIGI BAHNEN AG reduces CO2 emissions by around 18,500 kg per year.

  • While today's fleet wastes braking energy on the downhill run, the new trains feed it back into their own network as electricity, thus making uphill trains usable in a resource-saving way.

    • By using pre-soaked cleaning textiles, we are able to reduce the amount of water needed for cleaning by 60%.
    • Our cleaning products, which RIGI BAHNEN AG use on a daily basis, are all biodegradable and free of environmentally hazardous ingredients. In order to further protect the environment, we use dosing systems to dispense the agents. This avoids overdosing and minimises the consumption of cleaning agents. In addition, the supplier produces the products in Switzerland and has set itself the goal of producing in a CO2-neutral manner by 2023.

  • The dishes bearing the «ächt SCHWYZ» label are mostly sourced from the canton of Schwyz. We seek cooperation with regional suppliers and producers who - like us - are committed to sustainability. The Lok 7 restaurant opts for Swiss meat in its meat purchases. For this sustainable commitment, the restaurant was awarded the distinction «Wir setzen auf Schweizer Fleisch».