White workhorse.

Unimog in operation for the food logistics division at Migros in Zurich.

How do fresh foods such as butter, vegetables and fruit reach the customer in fresh condition? Smooth-running logistics are vital for delivering fresh foodstuffs to more than 200 Migros supermarkets and restaurants in Zurich on a daily basis: a job that’s tailor-made for the flexible and effective road-rail Unimog.

Reliable as a Swiss watch.

The Migros Zurich co-operative is one of ten Migros co-operatives which are members of Switzerland’s largest retail company. All of their distribution centres are connected directly to the rail network. With more than a million tonnes of freight on the track and more than 11.5 million kilometres covered, Migros is SBB Cargo’s largest customer.

The distribution centre at Herdern is the central hub for Migros Zurich: from there fresh goods are delivered every day to supermarkets and restaurants throughout the co-operative’s distribution region which includes the cantons of Zurich, Glarus, Schwyz and St. Gallen. And that adds up: annually a total of 300,000 pallets are moved by rail through the goods received and goods issue departments which is the equivalent of around 15 to 25 railway wagons a day.

That is why reliable rail vehicles are needed on the company premises to tow the incoming rail wagons fast and efficiently along the 1.2-km long plant-internal rail network to the correct unloading stations. Other tasks include the coupling and preparation of outgoing wagons for collection by a long-distance haulage train from SBB Cargo.

More videos about the Unimog in road-rail operations:

Road-rail Unimog is the most efficient solution.

The Unimog completes all of these tasks with flying colours. Its greatest advantage is its flexibility because as a road-rail vehicle it can conveniently switch between the rails and on-site roads. And thus it arrives at the correct location fast and without any long detours.

The Migros Zurich co-operative relies on a Unimog U 423 with an efficient Euro-VI-compliant engine and 170 kW output. Compared with diesel trains it is not only particularly efficient and environmentally friendly, but scores points with its powerful pulling power of up to 1000 tonnes on the rail tracks. Thanks to its torque converter clutch it can pull away with heavy trailer loads without causing wear.

With the Unimog we can organise our internal processes more efficiently than with external service providers.

Thomas Begert, Head of Flow of Goods, Migros Zurich co-operative

In addition to its agility, the Unimog drivers appreciate both the visibility and the compact dimensions of the all-rounder. Operation is simple and intuitive – as is typical of Mercedes-Benz.

A perfect solution thanks to teamwork.

From the outset, Merbag has been the competent Unimog Partner for the Migros Zurich co-operative. Reliable advice and support are decisive – particularly for complex demands. The Unimog U 423 was converted to a road-rail vehicle by ZAGRO, the specialised bodybuilder. The company fitted the rail gear system, a wagon braking system for up to 800 t, a drawbar and other rail-specific equipment.

The outcome is impressive; and it quickly convinced all those involved at Migros thanks to its numerous advantages. Because when it comes to flexibility, reliability and efficiency, not many vehicles could steal the show from the road-rail Unimog.

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