Swiss Railways Drops Coca-Cola in Favour of Local Vivi Kola

Keystone

As of last week Thursday, the Swiss Federal Railways no longer sells Coca-Cola on trains, in favour of Swiss competitor Vivi Kola.

Coca-Cola is no longer available in Swiss Federal Railways’ restaurant carriages. The American soft drink has been removed from the menu and replaced with its Swiss rival, Vivi Kola.

In the 120 dining cars operated by Swiss Federal Railways subsidiary Elvetino, Coca-Cola bottles have been swapped out for Vivi Kola, which has been produced since 1938 using mineral water from the Eglisau spring in canton Zurich.

The Swiss Federal Railways confirmed a report in Blick on Thursday, stating the change is effective immediately.

Supporting a home-grown product

“We deliberately wanted to make a statement about Swissness,” an Swiss Federal Railways spokesperson told the tabloid, adding that they were “convinced by the quality of the product.” A bottle of Vivi Kola onboard still costs CHF5.40 ($6.65), the same as Coca-Cola.

For several years, Swiss Federal Railways has been prioritising regional and seasonal products in its dining services, the spokesperson said. “It’s been very well received by our customers.”

Other Swiss specialities also feature on the new summer menu. SBB has long served only Swiss wine and beer on its trains, the spokeswoman added.

Difficult negotiations

The decision comes amid reportedly strained negotiations between Coca-Cola and several Swiss retailers.

Distributors Migros and Denner have already pulled Coca-Cola products made at the company’s Dietikon plant near Zurich from their shelves, citing price increases. SBB’s move, however, appears to be final, according to the spokesperson.

Contacted by news agency Keystone-SDA, Coca-Cola Switzerland said it remained open to discussions. The company emphasised that it has been producing in Switzerland since 1963 and currently sources over 95% of its ingredients locally.

Translated from French using DeepL/amva