Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Monday
Swiss motorists can find cheapest petrol prices, SBB commuters affected by Austria's rail strike, and other news in our roundup on Monday.
Switzerland finally has a petrol price comparator
Unlike drivers in many other countries, Swiss motorists did not have a reliable source where to compare gasoline prices throughout the country.
Now Switzerland’s largest motoring organisation, Touring Club Suisse (TCS), is launching a petrol price radar, already available online free of charge here and soon via the TCS app.
The current prices at petrol stations are displayed on an interactive map of the country, showing costs per litre for all grades of gasoline.
The information will be provided by the drivers, who can enter it directly online. The prices may not be constantly updated for certain rarely used service stations in rural areas, “but in regions with high population density, we will be able to update prices very quickly,” according to TCS director Jürg Wittwer.
Austria’s rail strike impacts Swiss commuters as well
Austrian railway workers will hold a one-day strike today after another round of negotiations between unions and railway representatives failed.
As trains are at a standstill in Austria since midnight, some Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) connections to or via Austria are also suspended.
Among them are:
Border crossing at Buchs SG:
- At night, the Nightjet and Euronight connections with departures on Sundays and Mondays are cancelled.
- In the daytime the Railjetxpress (RJX) and EuroCity (EC) between Zurich main station, Sargans, Buchs and Austria are canceled.
- The cross-border regional trains from Buchs to Feldkirch are suspended.
Border crossing at St. Margrethen:
- The EuroCity trains from Zurich HB to Munich Hbf are canceled in both directions between St. Gallen and Lindau-Reutin.
- The cross-border S-Bahn trains S3 St. Margrethen - Bregenz are canceled.
You can find out what other trains are suspended, and what options are available instead, here.
Parliament begins its winter session today
MPs have a number of issues on their agenda that will be debated between today and December 16th.
Among them will be the federal budget, the reform of the second pillar of the old-age pension, definition of rape, and minimum taxation of 15 percent of multinational companies according to the OECD model.
Also, with the imminent departure of Finance Minister Ueli Maurer and Transport and Environment Minister Simonetta Sommaruga, two new Federal Council members will be elected from among several who had put forth their candidacies for the posts.
Switzerland named the best European nation in vocational skills
Switzerland has won 19 medals out of 34 in the three-months-long WorldSkills 2022 competition — the so-called "championships of the professions," which took place from September until yesterday in various cities around the world.
This is the best result among the European nations.
Young Swiss professionals have won five gold, five silver and nine bronze medals, excelling in areas of masonry, auto mechanics and bodywork, horticulture and landscaping, confectionery, electronics, and others.
READ MORE: Why is vocational training so popular in Switzerland and how much can I earn?
Swiss Christmas markets in energy-saving mode
With many Christmas markets opening throughout Switzerland in the coming days, municipalities are taking measures to save as much electricity as possible — in line with the government’s calls to prevent energy shortage.
Steps being taken include bio-gas rather electricity-heated booths and chalets, using only minimum-consumption LED lighting, and turning off illuminations at night.
READ MORE: What are Swiss cities doing to save energy?
If you have any questions about life in Switzerland, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected]
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Switzerland finally has a petrol price comparator
Unlike drivers in many other countries, Swiss motorists did not have a reliable source where to compare gasoline prices throughout the country.
Now Switzerland’s largest motoring organisation, Touring Club Suisse (TCS), is launching a petrol price radar, already available online free of charge here and soon via the TCS app.
The current prices at petrol stations are displayed on an interactive map of the country, showing costs per litre for all grades of gasoline.
The information will be provided by the drivers, who can enter it directly online. The prices may not be constantly updated for certain rarely used service stations in rural areas, “but in regions with high population density, we will be able to update prices very quickly,” according to TCS director Jürg Wittwer.
Austria’s rail strike impacts Swiss commuters as well
Austrian railway workers will hold a one-day strike today after another round of negotiations between unions and railway representatives failed.
As trains are at a standstill in Austria since midnight, some Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) connections to or via Austria are also suspended.
Among them are:
Border crossing at Buchs SG:
- At night, the Nightjet and Euronight connections with departures on Sundays and Mondays are cancelled.
- In the daytime the Railjetxpress (RJX) and EuroCity (EC) between Zurich main station, Sargans, Buchs and Austria are canceled.
- The cross-border regional trains from Buchs to Feldkirch are suspended.
Border crossing at St. Margrethen:
- The EuroCity trains from Zurich HB to Munich Hbf are canceled in both directions between St. Gallen and Lindau-Reutin.
- The cross-border S-Bahn trains S3 St. Margrethen - Bregenz are canceled.
You can find out what other trains are suspended, and what options are available instead, here.
Parliament begins its winter session today
MPs have a number of issues on their agenda that will be debated between today and December 16th.
Among them will be the federal budget, the reform of the second pillar of the old-age pension, definition of rape, and minimum taxation of 15 percent of multinational companies according to the OECD model.
Also, with the imminent departure of Finance Minister Ueli Maurer and Transport and Environment Minister Simonetta Sommaruga, two new Federal Council members will be elected from among several who had put forth their candidacies for the posts.
Switzerland named the best European nation in vocational skills
Switzerland has won 19 medals out of 34 in the three-months-long WorldSkills 2022 competition — the so-called "championships of the professions," which took place from September until yesterday in various cities around the world.
This is the best result among the European nations.
Young Swiss professionals have won five gold, five silver and nine bronze medals, excelling in areas of masonry, auto mechanics and bodywork, horticulture and landscaping, confectionery, electronics, and others.
READ MORE: Why is vocational training so popular in Switzerland and how much can I earn?
Swiss Christmas markets in energy-saving mode
With many Christmas markets opening throughout Switzerland in the coming days, municipalities are taking measures to save as much electricity as possible — in line with the government’s calls to prevent energy shortage.
Steps being taken include bio-gas rather electricity-heated booths and chalets, using only minimum-consumption LED lighting, and turning off illuminations at night.
READ MORE: What are Swiss cities doing to save energy?
If you have any questions about life in Switzerland, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected]
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