VBSH to build charging facility at Schaffhausen RBZ for regional electric buses

The Schaffhausen regional bus network will be electrified by 2027 as Verkehrsbetriebe Schaffhausen (VBSH) expands charging infrastructure at the Regional Bus Centre (RBZ) following a Mercedes eCitaro supply contract signed in December 2024. A fleet of Irizar e-buses was deployed in the previous years.

Construction work at the Regionalbuszentrum Schaffhausen is scheduled to begin on 2 March 2026, as VBSH details on its website. Commissioning and testing are planned for mid-2027, with definitive operations starting in the third quarter of 2027. In parallel, additional overnight charging stations will be installed at the Ebnatring depot hall, with commissioning aligned to the RBZ timeline.

Schaffhausen bets of bus fleet electrification

Verkehrsbetriebe Schaffhausen (VBSH) is the public transport operator responsible for urban and regional bus services in the canton of Schaffhausen, Switzerland. The company manages city and regional routes as well as the associated infrastructure, including depot and charging facilities.

The electrification of the regional network follows earlier investments in the city network. Between 2020 and 2021, twelve fast-charging points were installed along Bahnhofstrasse in Schaffhausen, together with charging infrastructure in the basement of the main post office building to support electric buses operating in urban service. In a subsequent phase, Bahnhofstrasse was redesigned to remove barriers and upgrade the public space. The redesigned traffic area was officially inaugurated on 30 August 2025.

With the decision to progressively convert regional services to battery-electric operation, VBSH has initiated both the procurement of new standard and articulated buses and the expansion of charging infrastructure at key operational nodes. The delivery contract for Mercedes eCitaro buses was signed in December 2024.

The project includes the construction of an underground transformer station adjacent to the bicycle station. The facility will house switchgear, two transformers, seven charging rectifiers and auxiliary systems for electrical and cooling operations. Seven fast-charging points will be installed at the RBZ for opportunity charging during scheduled stops at Schaffhausen station.

The charging points will consist primarily of steel structures integrated into the bus station roofs and equipped with pantograph charging hoods delivering between 270 and 540 kW. As in the city network, regional electric buses will be configured for intermediate charging via roof-mounted current collectors during station dwell times. Overnight, vehicles will undergo full charging at the depot.

The expansion of charging infrastructure at the Ebnatring depot is currently in the planning phase and will be implemented in parallel with the RBZ construction works.

VBSH has also announced that the new regional bus fleet will be equipped with the Intros mobility assistance system, designed to support passengers with visual or mobility impairments in using public transport.

After the transition from diesel to battery-electric buses, the regional network will operate with electric vehicles charged through the new infrastructure at Schaffhausen station and the Ebnatring depot.