Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Monday
New SBB trains to be launched from mid-July; more tenants go to court seeking rent reduction; and other Swiss news in our roundup on Monday.
New, more comfortable trains to hit the rails in mid-July
The first of the 60 new "Interregio" double-decker trains will be put into service in a staggered manner, starting on July 17th, Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) said in a press release on Friday.
The Zurich–Schaffhausen line will be the first to be launched.
In addition to this route, new trains will run on the Bern–Zurich–Chur (IR35) line and between Basel and Zurich Airport (IR36) from December 2023.
Other new trains will be put into service over the next three years, including in the French-speaking regions.
Unprecedented: Switzerland imports more cheese
Whoever heard of Switzerland buying its cheese from abroad?
For the first time in recorded history of Swiss cheesemaking, the country’s cheese imports now exceed the volume of exports.
The reason for this new phenomenon is that as the number of Swiss dairy farms is shrinking significantly, the price of milk — an essential ingredient in cheese — does no longer cover production costs.
Having to import cheese into Switzerland is “an absurdity,” according to Boris Beuret, president of the umbrella organization of Swiss milk producers.
Rents: More tenants turn to arbitration authorities
More than half of Switzerland’s tenants will have to pay higher rents, after the central bank increased key reference rates in June.
This hike resulted in a number of appeals filed by tenants in municipal arbitration courts.
In Zurich alone, over 1,100 objections to rent increases were received within less than a month. Courts in Basel-City, Bern, and Lucerne also have to handle a wave of complaints.
The high number of objections is causing a backlog and delays in the appeal process, but the rents will not be increased while the case is under review.
However, if the arbitration board considers these hikes to be justified, the rent increase must be paid retrospectively.
READ ALSO: How do you know if your Swiss rent is too high — and how can you challenge it?
Only Swiss citizens can beg in Basel
Beggars who have no valid residence permit will have to leave the city, the Basel Justice and Security Department announced on Friday, after the Federal Court validated the decision and set conditions for the deportations.
According to the ruling, people who enter Basel from EU and EFTA countries but are not legitimate employees, cross-border workers, permit holders, or who don’t have sufficient financial means to support themselves in Switzerland while looking for a job will be ordered to leave.
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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New, more comfortable trains to hit the rails in mid-July
The first of the 60 new "Interregio" double-decker trains will be put into service in a staggered manner, starting on July 17th, Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) said in a press release on Friday.
The Zurich–Schaffhausen line will be the first to be launched.
In addition to this route, new trains will run on the Bern–Zurich–Chur (IR35) line and between Basel and Zurich Airport (IR36) from December 2023.
Other new trains will be put into service over the next three years, including in the French-speaking regions.
Unprecedented: Switzerland imports more cheese
Whoever heard of Switzerland buying its cheese from abroad?
For the first time in recorded history of Swiss cheesemaking, the country’s cheese imports now exceed the volume of exports.
The reason for this new phenomenon is that as the number of Swiss dairy farms is shrinking significantly, the price of milk — an essential ingredient in cheese — does no longer cover production costs.
Having to import cheese into Switzerland is “an absurdity,” according to Boris Beuret, president of the umbrella organization of Swiss milk producers.
Rents: More tenants turn to arbitration authorities
More than half of Switzerland’s tenants will have to pay higher rents, after the central bank increased key reference rates in June.
This hike resulted in a number of appeals filed by tenants in municipal arbitration courts.
In Zurich alone, over 1,100 objections to rent increases were received within less than a month. Courts in Basel-City, Bern, and Lucerne also have to handle a wave of complaints.
The high number of objections is causing a backlog and delays in the appeal process, but the rents will not be increased while the case is under review.
However, if the arbitration board considers these hikes to be justified, the rent increase must be paid retrospectively.
READ ALSO: How do you know if your Swiss rent is too high — and how can you challenge it?
Only Swiss citizens can beg in Basel
Beggars who have no valid residence permit will have to leave the city, the Basel Justice and Security Department announced on Friday, after the Federal Court validated the decision and set conditions for the deportations.
According to the ruling, people who enter Basel from EU and EFTA countries but are not legitimate employees, cross-border workers, permit holders, or who don’t have sufficient financial means to support themselves in Switzerland while looking for a job will be ordered to leave.
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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