Background
Taking stock of the major PostBus expansion in Surselva, Graubünden
One of the largest expansion projects in Graubünden’s public transport system in recent decades was implemented in Surselva with the timetable change in December 2025. The service was expanded on all 20 PostBus routes in the region, and its scale had a major impact on operations. Find out more below.
Rich Content Section
On 14 December 2025, the Rhaetian Railway introduced its half-hourly service to Ilanz and PostBus services in the Surselva region were expanded accordingly. This brought significantly more connections and better travel options for the public, commuters and tourism.
Within a short space of time, PostBus recruited around 30 additional transport employees, procured additional vehicles and introduced new procedures. Headcount rose from around 90 to around 120 employees. At the same time, rosters, placements and operational processes changed fundamentally. There was a higher-than-average increase in turnover among drivers during this phase.
Local despatch planning
Recent media reports highlight the fact that not all employees are satisfied with this development. The posts are critical of rosters with longer breaks, the management organization and operational processes. PostBus has supported feedback from the outset and takes it very seriously. Managers are in regular contact with employees, staff representatives and social partners to implement improvements. Staff scheduling now takes place closer to the region, duty rosters are continually reviewed and operational processes adapted. The aim is to gradually improve working conditions and to further establish processes, some of which are new.
Security takes priority
One media article quotes a driver who criticizes the condition of individual vehicles. PostBus applies a clear principle here: safety comes first at all times. Besides daily and weekly checks, drivers decide before each journey whether a vehicle is roadworthy according to their assessment. If there are doubts about road safety, a journey may not be made even if a service is cancelled as a result. Such a vehicle needs a check before it can be put into service again. Operations relies on defects being consistently reported and documented. This is the only way to ensure that the repairs needed can be carried out quickly and any improvements introduced.
A look ahead
Today, Surselva benefits from far better public transport services than a year ago. Implementing this service from an operational perspective is still challenging. Ruedi Henke, Head of Operations at PostBus, sums things up: “PostBus is closely supporting developments in the region and is working with employees, social partners and the canton to improve the quality of jobs for long-standing and new drivers. Everyone has the same goal: reliable and attractive public transport for the people of Surselva and employees, who enjoy working for this service.”
