Swiss public transport operator Bus Ostschweiz has placed 14 new battery-electric buses into regular service across several regions in eastern Switzerland following a timetable change on Dec. 14, marking a further step toward its goal of fully electrifying its fleet by 2036.
The rollout introduces battery-electric buses for the first time in the Oberthurgau and Sargans–Werdenberg regions. Five of the new vehicles have been allocated to the Sargans depot, where they will operate on multiple routes, including rail replacement services for Rhaetian Railway. On evening services between Chur and Landquart, electric buses are being deployed on a targeted basis, the company said.
Bus Ostschweiz also operates public bus services in Liechtenstein on behalf of LIEmobil. Since mid-December, three additional battery-electric buses have been stationed at the Ruggell depot, bringing the number of electric buses there to eight. The depot has been fully upgraded for electric operations and is capable of charging up to 24 buses simultaneously, providing capacity for future fleet expansion.
At the Amriswil site in the canton of Thurgau, Bus Ostschweiz has completed extensive depot upgrades to support electromobility, including new charging infrastructure and adapted workshop and operational processes. Five battery-electric buses are now in service from this location, marking the first time the company has introduced electric buses into regular regional line services in Thurgau under its own brand. An additional electric bus has also been added to the Rheintal Bus fleet at the Altstätten depot, where electric operations were already underway.
The company did not disclose the manufacturers or models of the newly deployed buses. It said further additions are planned under its E-Bus Roadmap 2023–2036, which sets out a gradual transition to a fully electric fleet.
“With the commissioning of a total of 14 new battery-electric buses, we have reached a major milestone in our fleet electrification journey,” said Roland Ochsner, managing director of the Bus Ostschweiz Group. He added that the upgrades, particularly at the Amriswil depot, represented a targeted investment in sustainable and future-proof mobility for eastern Switzerland.
