What you need to know about the restart of train services in Switzerland
After a gradual resumption of services on April 27th, nearly all trains are starting operating again on June 8th.
According to Swiss Federal Railways (SBB), daytime and evening traffic on national and regional lines is resuming on Monday.
Only night trains and some peak-hour connections will probably not be restored until the end of summer.
The latest travel information can be found in the online timetable.
Dès le 8 juin, les CFF rétabliront la quasi-totalité de leur offrehttps://t.co/34xppRXA4w
— Relations médias CFF (@presse_CFF) May 28, 2020
The following connections and trains will be in service again from June 8th:
IC1 Geneva-Airport – Bern – Zurich – St-Gallen
The IC1 will again circulate as a direct Intercity on the east-west axis. Between Zurich and St. Gallen, three trains will run per hour, including a fast Intercity.
IC2 Zurich – Lugano
Resumption of the semi-hourly service at certain hours.
IC3 Chur – Zurich – Basel
Restoration of the continuous semi-hourly service of the Zurich – Basel IC and, at certain times, of the semi-hourly service on the Zurich – Chur line.
IC4 Zurich – Schaffhausen
Reinstatement of the semi-hourly service of IC4 / RE trains Zurich – Schaffhausen.
IR16 Olten – Bern
Restoration of the direct connection Bern – Aarau – Brugg AG – Baden every hour.
IR36 Basel – Zurich Airport
Reinstatement of the direct Basel – Zurich Airport and Basel – Brugg AG – Zurich IR on a semi-hourly basis.
IR37 Zurich – St. Gallen
More frequent service on on Zurich – St. Gallen line
Other connections:
RE Olten – Lucerne
RE Olten – Wettingen
More trains during peak hours between Bern and Zurich, as well as between Basel and La Chaux-de-Fonds regions.
What about international connections?
While the following trains are circulating, keep in mind that borders are closed to tourism until June 15th.
READ MORE: Switzerland to open EU borders from June 15th
https://www.thelocal.ch/20200605/switzerland-to-open-eu-borders-from-june-15th
Before purchasing a ticket, make sure you will be allowed to enter the country you are travelling to. Requirements for entry include being a citizen or permanent resident of your destination country.
France:
Two trains are operating between Geneva and Paris, as well as one train between Basel SNCF and Paris.
Germany:
International trains are also operating through Basel SBB and Schaffhausen between Switzerland and Germany, including ICE from Hamburg or Berlin to Basel SBB, Interlaken or Zurich
Chur, IC Zurich – Schaffhausen – Stuttgart, ICE between Cologne and Basel SBB.
EC trains on the Zurich – Munich line and the IC buses between Zurich and Munich.
Austria:
The Railjet service to Vienna and the EC connection to Graz are in service.
Connections with Italy are not yet resumed.
As the regular services are resuming, the SBB is reminding passengers to wear masks, especially on busy trains and when the two-metre safety distance cannot be respected.
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According to Swiss Federal Railways (SBB), daytime and evening traffic on national and regional lines is resuming on Monday.
Only night trains and some peak-hour connections will probably not be restored until the end of summer.
The latest travel information can be found in the online timetable.
Dès le 8 juin, les CFF rétabliront la quasi-totalité de leur offrehttps://t.co/34xppRXA4w
— Relations médias CFF (@presse_CFF) May 28, 2020
The following connections and trains will be in service again from June 8th:
IC1 Geneva-Airport – Bern – Zurich – St-Gallen
The IC1 will again circulate as a direct Intercity on the east-west axis. Between Zurich and St. Gallen, three trains will run per hour, including a fast Intercity.
IC2 Zurich – Lugano
Resumption of the semi-hourly service at certain hours.
IC3 Chur – Zurich – Basel
Restoration of the continuous semi-hourly service of the Zurich – Basel IC and, at certain times, of the semi-hourly service on the Zurich – Chur line.
IC4 Zurich – Schaffhausen
Reinstatement of the semi-hourly service of IC4 / RE trains Zurich – Schaffhausen.
IR16 Olten – Bern
Restoration of the direct connection Bern – Aarau – Brugg AG – Baden every hour.
IR36 Basel – Zurich Airport
Reinstatement of the direct Basel – Zurich Airport and Basel – Brugg AG – Zurich IR on a semi-hourly basis.
IR37 Zurich – St. Gallen
More frequent service on on Zurich – St. Gallen line
Other connections:
RE Olten – Lucerne
RE Olten – Wettingen
More trains during peak hours between Bern and Zurich, as well as between Basel and La Chaux-de-Fonds regions.
What about international connections?
While the following trains are circulating, keep in mind that borders are closed to tourism until June 15th.
READ MORE: Switzerland to open EU borders from June 15th
https://www.thelocal.ch/20200605/switzerland-to-open-eu-borders-from-june-15th
Before purchasing a ticket, make sure you will be allowed to enter the country you are travelling to. Requirements for entry include being a citizen or permanent resident of your destination country.
France:
Two trains are operating between Geneva and Paris, as well as one train between Basel SNCF and Paris.
Germany:
International trains are also operating through Basel SBB and Schaffhausen between Switzerland and Germany, including ICE from Hamburg or Berlin to Basel SBB, Interlaken or Zurich
Chur, IC Zurich – Schaffhausen – Stuttgart, ICE between Cologne and Basel SBB.
EC trains on the Zurich – Munich line and the IC buses between Zurich and Munich.
Austria:
The Railjet service to Vienna and the EC connection to Graz are in service.
Connections with Italy are not yet resumed.
As the regular services are resuming, the SBB is reminding passengers to wear masks, especially on busy trains and when the two-metre safety distance cannot be respected.
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