Tag: SBB

SBB announces its 2024 timetable so tourist can travel areas more directly

November 27, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

The new timetable brings additional connections where demand is growing the most. Popular tourist destinations such as Valais and Graubünden will be even better connected. There are also further targeted improvements. A lot will also be done in 2024 to maintain and expand the rail network; Accordingly, there are many construction sites across the entire network. SBB does everything it can to ensure that travelers can rely on reliable connections.

National and international passenger transport: More direct connections, additional stops in tourist regions and new seasonal offers

The most important innovations in national long-distance transport:

Since the last timetable change in December 2022, two trains have been running directly from Geneva via Zurich to Chur and vice versa on weekends. Due to high demand, two additional direct trains will be introduced on this line. There are now four attractive direct connections in each direction spread throughout the day on weekends.
From Christmas to Easter, Ascension Day, Pentecost and June to October, a direct train connects Zurich (from 7:38 a.m.) with Brig (at 9:38 a.m.) in just 2 hours on Saturdays and in the opposite direction on Sundays (Brig from 4:18 p.m. – Zurich HB 6:32 p.m.). ). The train also stops in Frutigen and takes skiers, hikers and bikers to the Bernese Oberland and the Upper Valais without having to change on Saturday morning and back again on Sunday evening. This will create a half-hourly service during peak times on the Thun-Brig or Brig-Spiez/Thun route.
From January 13th to March 3rd, 2024, there will be two fast and direct connections from Zurich HB (departures at 8:27 a.m. and 9:40 a.m.) to Einsiedeln (arrivals at 9:19 a.m. and 10:24 a.m.) on weekend mornings and back again in the afternoon (departures at 3:32 p.m. and 4:38 p.m.). Clock). This RegioExpress takes cross-country skiers and sun-seekers from Zwinglistadt to the home of the Black Madonna without having to change trains.
From Tuesday to Sunday, commuters and other travelers can get directly to Bern (at 6:24 a.m.) and Basel (at 7:32 a.m.) earlier than before thanks to the IC6 with departure from Brig at 5:16 a.m.; in the evening the last IC6 runs from Basel (from 10:28 p.m.) via Bern (from 11:37 p.m.) to Brig (at 12:41 a.m.) now an hour later than before. Due to maintenance in the Lötschberg Base Tunnel, the last train on Sunday evening or the first on Monday morning continues to run as IC61 from/to Basel via Bern to/from Interlaken (instead of Brig).
The IC3 between Zurich and Chur runs every half hour on weekends all year round.
For night owls, a new express connection runs on Friday and Saturday nights from Olten (from 12:40 a.m.) to Biel/Bienne (at 1:26 a.m.), with stops in Oensingen, Solothurn, and Grenchen Süd.
The original plan was to introduce full half-hourly service through the Gotthard Base Tunnel with this timetable change. Since operations are restricted following the derailment of a freight train on August 10, 2023, the introduction of the half-hourly service will be delayed until the base tunnel can be used normally again. As of the timetable change, 31 fast passenger trains will run through the Gotthard Base Tunnel between Friday and Sunday evenings.

The most important innovations in international passenger transport:

International trips are also popular, for example to the Bavarian capital. In the future, an additional train will run daily in each direction between Zurich and Munich, meaning travelers will have a continuous two-hour service.
Since November 24, 2023, 13 direct IC connections have been running between Zurich and Stuttgart, with no change in Singen.

The most important innovations in rolling stock:

On the RegioExpress between Olten and Lucerne, SBB is expanding the seating capacity by using double-decker trains.
Due to the implementation of the Disability Equality Act (BehiG), there will be a change in the use of rolling stock on some long-distance routes.

SBB says rail traffic in the Gotthard Base Tunnel interrupted

August 13, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

When a freight train derailed, the track system and a lane change gate in the Gotthard base tunnel were severely damaged. This safety-relevant device is required to separate the two tunnel tubes. Safety has top priority, which is why the second tube cannot be used for passenger or freight traffic. It cannot be used for freight traffic until at least midnight on Wednesday, August 16, 2023. This increases the travel time between German-speaking Switzerland and Ticino by around an hour. Since international travelers have to change trains in Chiasso, their travel time is about two hours longer. SBB apologizes for the inconvenience.

A precise statement on the cause and extent of damage cannot be made at this time. The Swiss Safety Investigation Board and the cantonal investigation authorities are investigating the accident. The accident site has not yet been released by the investigative authorities for clean-up and repair work.

Due to the increased volume of traffic and the limited alternative connections at the weekend and the limited number of seats, SBB urgently recommends postponing spontaneous train journeys via the Gotthard and asks for your understanding.

According to the Railway Ordinance, freight trains can travel on the panoramic route up to a certain corner height. Accordingly, a large proportion of inland transport is carried out via this route, while a small proportion is temporarily transported by road. Combined transport (containers, semi-trailers, trucks) exceeds this corner height and can therefore only drive on the Gotthard axis via the Gotthard base tunnel. For this reason, combined transport in the transit area is diverted via the Lötschberg-Simplon axis or retained in the exit terminals. There are only small restrictions on the transport of goods and the flow of goods is ensured. SBB will provide information again in due course.

Swiss Trains between La Chaux-de-Fonds and St-Imier are running again

August 8, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) reports after the severe storms that hit the La Chaux-de-Fonds region on Monday, July 24, 2023, the repair work is still ongoing. Since Saturday morning, July 29, 2023, the trains between La Chaux-de-Fonds and St-Imier have been running according to the timetable again.

The forecast for traffic to be restored between La Chaux-de-Fonds and Le Locle is now set for Saturday morning 19 August.

Court Rules in Favor of SBB for 286 Regional Service Units

May 25, 2022 / WIL BALDWIN

In October of 2021, Stadler was awarded the contract for 286 single-deck multiple units. The Federal Administrative Court confirms the award of the contract to Stadler, and has dismissed Alstom’s appeal.

Together with its subsidiaries Thurbo and RegionAlps, SBB is procuring 286 single-deck multiple-unit trains for regional transport. Stadler was awarded the contract for this order. The unsuccessful bidder, Alstom, appealed against this decision to the Federal Administrative Court. The court has now dismissed the appeal. This court decision confirms that SBB complied with the requirements of procurement law and the equal treatment of bidders during the tendering procedure. After signing the contract, Stadler can start building the 286 multiple units for regional transport.

The legal proceedings initiated by Alstom have an impact on the delivery of the vehicles. The first trains will now not enter service until 2026 instead of December 2025 as originally planned. The new trains will gradually replace the following rolling stock until 2034:

at SBB: Domino, Flirt (first generation)
at Thurbo: articulated railcars
at RegionAlps: Domino and Nina

The newly procured vehicles will help all three railway companies to implement their planned improvements to services as well as the service expansion projects planned by the Confederation and the Cantons.

Stadler Sets Guinness Book of Records with FLIRT Akku Battery Only Train Journey

December 31, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

The three unit FLIRT Akku used for the record journey has been developed by Stadler since 2016 as a local CO2 neutral mobility solution for the climate-friendly operation of unelectrified railway routes. The vehicle was approved by the German Federal Railway Office and introduced to the public for the very first time in 2018. Ever since when the FLIRT Akku test carrier has travelled around 15,000 kilometers in battery only operation, before setting the world record for a regional train journey in battery-only mode without additional charge now.

Climate friendly bestseller FLIRT

The first Fast Light Intercity and Regional Train was developed in 2002 at the request of the Swiss Federal Railways SBB for the Zug city railway. Ever since the unit was put into service, the FLIRT has turned into an international bestseller with over 2,000 vehicles sold. These vehicles are being operated in 20 countries in virtually all climate zones, from the equator to the polar circle, with 528 of them operating in Germany alone. The single-decker regional and intercity multiple unit convinces with its flexibility in the process. The trains are configured for normal and broad gauge tracks, with top speeds of 160 to 200 km/h. Thus, the FLIRT can be customized to any individual client requirements in terms of its drive technology, number of seats, passenger flow and interior design. The lightweight aluminum construction and common components help to keep the operating, energy and maintenance costs low. Besides electric, diesel or bi-modal drives, the FLIRT is also available with climate-friendly battery and hydrogen propulsion.

With the FLIRT Akku train sets, Stadler has developed a so called BEMU (battery-electric multiple unit) that will run as both a classic EMU (electric multiple unit) under overhead contact cable or battery-operated on un-electrified routes. This makes it optimal for partly electrified routes that currently still need to be served with diesel trains. Stadler had already won the first green technology tender in Germany and sold 55 FLIRT Akkus to NAH.SH, the Schleswig-Holstein Local Transport Association in 2019. In November 2021, another order for 44 vehicles followed from Deutsche Bahn Regio. In addition Stadler is also building the first hydrogen-powered FLIRT for the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) in the USA.

SBB Swiss Rail to Offer Customers with Bicycles More Space and Reliability

February 26, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

SBB is improving its services for travelling with bicycles for the 2021 cycling season. It is taking this step in response to strong demand and to insufficient capacity last summer. On key leisure travel lines (Bern to Brig, Zurich to Chur) SBB is tripling capacity at times of high demand from 21 March. SBB will offer customers with bicycles more reliable journey planning: thanks to reservations, passengers taking along bikes can be sure that they will find space for them on trains. The price of bicycle reservations is reduced from CHF 5 to CHF 2. SBB presented the improved services to cycling, consumer and industry organisations today and outlined future prospects for traveling with bikes.

There has been a sharp increase in demand for travelling with bikes and holidays in Switzerland due to the coronavirus crisis. In some cases this has led to capacity shortages and dissatisfied customers who were unable to travel with their bike on the train they had planned to use. Around 80,000 Bike Day Passes were sold in the peak month of July 2020, for example, which is up by around 45% compared to the previous year. SBB also transported up to 15,000 bikes with self-service loading on the main axes of Zurich to Chur and Bern to Brig.

SBB expects demand for travel with bikes to continue to rise and is responding to this trend. This is why – together with Pro Velo and the Swiss Transport and Environment Association – it engaged in broad-based dialogue with cycling stakeholders as well as consumer and industry organisations on the issue of ‘sustainable travel with bicycles’. The aim is to offer customers reliable journey planning and reservations, to further improve and simplify services and to make them even more customer-friendly. SBB has a duty of responsibility towards all customers and wishes to provide services that meet and take account of the needs of all passengers as far as possible – including, for example, people with disabilities or families.

In view of the forthcoming cycling season, which begins on 21 March, SBB has introduced various changes to make travelling with bikes easier:

SBB is increasing capacity for the self-service loading of bicycles at times of high demand on the key leisure travel lines, tripling capacity compared to the current levels where possible. These routes include Bern to Brig and Zurich to Chur. Additional capacity will also be provided on routes to Ticino, Interlaken and the southern foot of the Jura. Passengers will be assisted with the loading of bicycles by SBB staff on these lines where possible.

In order to expand capacity medium and long-term, SBB is currently assessing which technical measures can be implemented long-term to create additional bicycle spaces on various types of train. Only minor modifications to rolling stock are possible in the short term.

Customers with bicycles need to be able to plan their journey reliably and safely. SBB makes this possible on all Swiss InterCity trains with a reservation costing CHF 2. Passengers who made a reservation can be certain that they will find space for their bike on the trains. Trains are labelled with the well-known bicycle symbol in the online timetable. Bikes can only be transported using self-service loading on trains labelled with this symbol if a reservation has been made and a valid bike ticket is presented. Reservations can be made up until shortly before departure in the SBB Mobile app. They can also be purchased at the counter or several days in advance via the SBB Contact Center

(tel. 0848 44 66 88)

The price for reservations will be reduced from CHF 5 to CHF 2 for a continuous connection – for example for a route with more than one section. International trains within Switzerland can now also be used for bike transport with a reservation, but prices and booking options may differ. Bikes can be transported with a valid bicycle ticket but without a reservation on regional services (R, S, RE trains) as well as on InterRegio trains (IR).

DB and SBB to Increase Rail Service Between Germany and Switzerland

October 26, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Demand for international rail services between Germany and Switzerland has increased rapidly in recent years. At the Basel border crossing alone the number of passengers has increased by over 25 per cent in the past five years. Given the increasing importance of climate protection, the increase in travel by rail, an environmentally friendly mode of transport, is a trend which is expected to continue. Despite the current challenges presented by the COVID-19 crisis, the two rail companies DB and SBB firmly believe there is tremendous growth potential in rail services between Germany and Switzerland over the medium and long term. As a result, DB and SBB are planning a significant increase in services. Both rail companies today signed a memorandum of understanding on the proposals.

The planned increase in services will be made possible thanks to the opening of Stuttgart 21 and the completion of the Karlsruhe–Offenburg and Müllheim–Basel stages of improvements by 2026. The increase in services involves switching operation of all ICE services between Switzerland and Germany to ICE 4s, this being DB’s most modern train, and the use of SBB Giruno compositions in Germany.

The key features of the service increase planned from the 2026 timetable are:

– The number of direct services between Switzerland and Germany will rise from 26 at present to 35 connections a day.

– Two new direct services a day from Hamburg via Basel to Lugano will improve the services on the north-south axis via the Gotthard route. The use of the Giruno on this line means that further direct connections from Germany to Milan could be added in future.

– The new plan also involves running new direct services from Germany via Bern to Valais.

– The deployment of the ICE 4 on the Dortmund–Cologne–Basel line makes it possible to provide new direct services from North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s most populous federal state, to Switzerland.

– The half-hourly frequency in future on the Zurich to Chur route will allow additional direct connections from Germany to Chur to be provided.

– The journey time between Frankfurt and Zurich will be reduced by 20 minutes to 3 hours and 40 minutes.

In conjunction with the joint increase in services, SBB Giruno trains will also now be used on routes between Switzerland and Germany. SBB also plans to procure additional Giruno compositions from manufacturer Stadler Rail using existing options available. Vincent Ducrot, CEO of SBB, believes this increase in services is another major step which underlines SBB’s strong commitment to significantly improving international passenger services: “We want to make rail travel in Europe easier for our customers. Rail offers major advantages in terms of travel time and comfort and has gained further impetus from the climate debate. This is why we are focusing on the further development of international services. It is important to look at sustainable and efficient mobility at European level. Infrastructure projects, such as the Ceneri Base Tunnel and Stuttgart 21, are pioneering in this respect.” Richard Lutz, CEO of Deutsche Bahn, said: “2021 is the European Year of Rail. Projects such as the revival of the Trans Europ Express for cross-border services and the development of our cooperation with SBB demonstrate this. These are wonderful indications that rail travel is growing across the entire continent, and first and foremost, that people and economic activity in Europe are coming closer together.”

Der neue Fernverkehrszug der SBB “FV Dosto”, ein Doppelstockzug, fotografiert wahrend der Typentestfahrt in Interlaken, am Donnerstag, 11. Mai 2017. (KEYSTONE/Anthony Anex)……..

SBB and ÖBB Plan Further Expansion of Night Train Services

September 20, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

SBB and ÖBB are stepping up their long-standing cooperation in international passenger services. The two railway companies are seeking to scale up the existing night train services from six to ten lines. Planning is underway for new night trains from Switzerland to Amsterdam, Rome and Barcelona. Last week, SBB and ÖBB signed a corresponding Letter of Intent. The planned expansion of services can only be guaranteed with financial support from the Swiss climate fund.

Demand for international night train services significantly increased in 2019 and at the start of 2020 until the coronavirus crisis struck. The number of passengers using night train services from Switzerland grew by over 25 per cent with respect to the previous year. The two partner railways consider this a sustainable trend given the significant rise in customer demand for environmentally friendly and resource-efficient travel. There is clear evidence to show that night trains have a positive effect on overall emissions, as they generate modal shift from other modes of transport to rail. ÖBB and SBB share the goal of shifting more travel to rail and thus contributing to a reduction in CO₂ emissions from the travel sector. This commitment reflects the aims of the Paris Agreement on climate change and the political and public will to develop an attractive night train network as an important component of environmentally friendly and sustainable mobility in Europe.

With its 19 Nightjet lines and eight further services provided in cooperation with partner railways, ÖBB already runs Europe’s largest night train network. This includes the network from Switzerland run in cooperation with SBB, comprising six lines and one additional service. SBB and ÖBB want to build on this success and expand night train services in Europe together. Over the last few months, the companies have thoroughly tested and evaluated various options for expanding the service. By cooperating, the railway companies will be able to make use of synergies in production and marketing of the service offer and save on costs. In the Letter of Intent signed last week, the two railway companies presented their strategy for expanding services as outlined in “2024 Nightjet Network for Switzerland”. The plans involve expanding the Nightjet network from Switzerland to incorporate a total of ten lines and 25 destinations.

Cornerstones of the expansion plan:

– From 2022 timetable onwards: new Nightjet connection to Amsterdam.
As a first step in the expansion process, the two railway companies want to launch a new daily Nightjet service running Zurich–Basel–Frankfurt–Cologne–Amsterdam in December 2021. However, the very limited availability of rolling stock suitable for night train services restricts short-term service expansion. SBB therefore intends to lease suitable rolling stock from German leasing company RDC Asset GmbH.

– Increasing capacity on services to Berlin, Hamburg and Prague and new connection to Leipzig and Dresden.
The services currently provided from Zurich via Basel to Berlin and Hamburg are increasingly popular. Capacity on this route will therefore be expanded significantly. SBB and ÖBB wish to serve both destinations with two separate trains covering the whole route, if possible from the 2023 timetable change. This will enable a significant capacity increase. They also plan to run the service to Prague via Germany as a portion of the Berlin Nightjet with sleeping cars and couchettes. The new route would also provide a direct connection to Leipzig and Dresden.

– Plans for new connections to Rome and Barcelona.
There are plans for a new line connecting Zurich via Bern, Brig, Domodossola to Rome. A daily connection from Zurich via Bern, Lausanne, Geneva to Barcelona is also planned. This would also integrate French-speaking Switzerland directly into the night train network. It is not yet clear whether it will be possible to run these two lines, as agreements with other partner railways are yet to be reached.

To ensure that night train services can be expanded in the medium to long term, ÖBB is also investing in new rolling stock. The new night train sets are to come into service gradually over a period of time.

SBB and ÖBB are campaigning for greater political support for night trains.

Alongside the planned service expansion, SBB, ÖBB and other partner railways are campaigning for transport policies which facilitate night train operations in Europe. In Switzerland, the total revision of the CO₂ Act after 2020 is being debated in the autumn session of the Federal Parliament. The Act provides for support for cross-border rail services from the climate fund. Last week, the Swiss Parliament voted in favour of supporting international passenger services, including night trains. While subject to a final vote and a possible referendum, financial support from the climate fund would compensate for the losses SBB would sustain given the high operating costs night train services involve.

ÖBB is the largest provider of night train services in Europe and has contributed significantly to maintaining night trains services from Switzerland in its existing partnership with SBB. Andreas Matthä, ÖBB CEO, said: “We have no doubts about the Nightjet’s success. With SBB as a committed and effective partner, we can continue to expand the Nightjet network even further. We are investing in new trains: 13 latest generation Nightjet sets will be in operation from the end of 2022. With additional services and modern rolling stock, taking the night train will become an even more attractive option.”

SBB CEO Vincent Ducrot has no doubt that demand for fast daytime services and night trains will continue to grow. “This is a sustainable trend and the demand for environmentally friendly and resource-efficient mobility will continue to increase.”

SBB and ÖBB consider night train services as an important element of the overall service offer and see great potential for creating synergies with daytime services. An attractive rail offer helps to achieve the goal of modal shift from short-haul flights to rail.

SBB’s New Double-Deck Train is Getting Better and Better

November 10, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Significant increase in reliability and ride comfort

The introduction of the new “FV-Dosto” double-deck long-distance train on the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) route network is making significant and measurable progress. As the manufacturer Bombardier Transportation explained at its Swiss headquarters in Zurich, the reliability of the 25 trains available to the SBB has been increased by a factor of seven, and ride comfort has been substantially improved thanks to newly installed software. This and the train’s highly energy-efficient drive concept, also led to a significant improvement in punctuality on the routes operated with the FV-Dosto. With the help of software developed and adapted by Bombardier, it has been possible to reduce the previously noticeable vibrations, particularly in the upper decks of trains by up to 75 per cent, thereby substantially increasing ride comfort.

As Stéphane Wettstein, the Swiss Managing Director of Bombardier Transportation, explained, the technical reliability of the FV-Dosto trains used, once again significantly increased to 6,914 km of trouble-free operation in October. This corresponds to an improvement by a factor of seven over the last 11 months. Approximately 34 per cent of service disruptions are caused by operational and passenger-triggered incidents and accordingly affect the overall reliability of operations. Wettstein put the increase in the technical reliability of the trains down to the effectiveness of the agreed actions and the increasing mileage of the Dosto fleet, which has now covered a total of around 2.27 million kilometres. He is therefore confident that technical and operational reliability will continue to improve steadily. Since the timetable change in December 2018, around 75 per cent of the technical causes of disruptions have been eliminated.

Reliability and drive concept have a positive effect on punctuality

The greater reliability and increasing trouble-free availability of the trains also have a positive effect on the punctuality of the IR and IC services operated by the FV-Dosto. According to the surveys on the statistics website pünktlichkeit.ch, it is better in eastern Switzerland than in other parts of the country. This is not only due to higher reliability of the FV-Dosto trains, but also to their drive concept: unlike conventional trains, the FV-Dosto is not pulled or pushed by a locomotive, but driven by high energy-efficient and permanent magnet motors on the axles of the individual carriages. This allows long-distance trains to accelerate much faster, which positively contributes to timetable adherence.

Substantial improvement of ride comfort

In recent weeks, great progress has also been made in terms of ride comfort. With the new software installed in September 2019, it has been possible to eliminate the vibrations that used to be felt, mainly in the upper deck, to such an extent that some of them are now lower than in conventional double-deck trains. However, Stéphane Wettstein pointed out that, although Bombardier’s mechatronic bogies had been able to improve ride comfort, railway infrastructure, which also influences passengers’ level of comfort, has not gotten any better.

The technologically complex system for eliminating vibrations is based on stabilizing the carriage body in every driving situation, in such a way that the passenger feels less of the centrifugal forces in curves and changes of direction when passing over points than in conventional double-deck or tilting trains. While the ICN tilting train, which was also built by Bombardier as the consortium leader, tilts inwards in curves up to 7°, the FV-Dosto stays perpendicular to the track level. Together with the drive system and the pressure-tight carriage body, which prevents unpleasant pressure on the ears, especially when travelling through tunnels, this system is one of the major innovations of what is currently the world’s most modern long-distance train.

SBB already has 25 new trains

“The FV-Dosto is technologically a leading product in the industry in terms of its energy efficiency and the wide range of comfort it offers its passengers, even on a global scale – something Switzerland can be proud of, especially since important systems such as the traction or the bogies were developed in Switzerland and are largely manufactured in Switzerland,” says Swiss Managing Director of Bombardier Transportation Stéphane Wettstein.

Bombardier has now delivered a total of 25 of the FV-Dosto trains, which corresponds to SBB’s planning for the timetable change in 2019. By summer 2021, the entire fleet of (62) trains will have been delivered. The great public interest in the FV-Dosto has also prompted Bombardier to intensify communication regarding this high-tech train. The company has launched a website at swissdosto.ch which provides continually updated information on the introduction and operation of the train on the Swiss rail network.

Bombardier creates considerable value in Switzerland

Bombardier Transportation is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of public transport vehicles, mainly rail vehicles. The company is headquartered in Montreal, Canada and employs around 40,000 people around the world. More than 100,000 Bombardier vehicles are in service worldwide, carrying some 500 million passengers every day. In Switzerland, Bombardier’s roots go back some 120 years; many of the famous Swiss railway manufacturers from Secheron and MFO to BBC, ABB and Schindler Waggonbau to SLM have been combined under Bombardier over the decades. Today, around 870 employees work for Bombardier in Switzerland, 340 of them at the headquarters and global development centre in Zurich and 530 at the Villeneuve (VD) plant. Numerous Swiss suppliers are also involved in the development and production of the FV-Dosto, and their order volume accounts for around 50 per cent of the total external investment volume of CHF 600 million for the (62) ordered trains. After all, Bombardier is not only the supplier of FV-Dosto for SBB, but also of locomotives, technical services and the BOMBARDIER FLEXITYtram, which is already being used successfully in Geneva and Basel and the first of which will also be handed over to the Zurich public transport operator VBZ on November 15, 2019.

New ‘Flugzug’ Rail Service Between Lugano and Zurich Airport

October 12, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

A new ‘Flugzug’ rail service between Lugano Station and Zurich Airport is bookable now for travel from 16 October. The cost of the rail journey is included in the SWISS flight ticket.

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) and Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) now offer customers a ‘Flugzug’ rail service between Lugano Station and Zurich Airport for travel on or after 16 October. Selected SBB rail connections between Lugano and Zurich Airport will be issued with a SWISS flight number, and the cost of the rail journey is included in the SWISS flight ticket price.

The ‘Flugzug’ timetable offers 14 daily services in each direction between Lugano Station and Zurich Airport. The new rail service thus provides travellers between the two points with even more flexibility than the present four daily flights. The rail services concerned also cover all the relevant SWISS connecting flights from and to its Zurich hub. The new ‘Flugzug’ services are bookable now for travel on or after 16 October, on the SWISS website or at any travel agency.

SWISS is keen to ensure that the Ticino region is well connected with its Zurich Airport air travel hub. The present arrangement is an interim solution, and SWISS and SBB are working closely on optimising the ‘Flugzug’ rail service which as a SBB feeder rail service until now only existed between Basel and Zurich Airport.