Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Tuesday
Swiss retain their position as European train travel champs; some international train travel is now more expensive; and more news in our roundup on Tuesday.
Shooting suspect caught in a massive police action in Valais
A gunman who killed two people and injured another in the city of Sion, was apprehended Monday afternoon, after more than an eight-hour manhunt that spanned the entire canton.
The 36-year-old shot three people at a painting company where he once worked.
One of the victims was a woman he allegedly harassed before, and another was his former-boss with whom the suspect had disputes in the past. His relationship to the third victim, also employed at the company, is not clear at this time; she survived the shooting.
Gun deaths are relatively rare in Switzerland, despite the abundance of firearms in the country.
READ ALSO: Understanding Switzerland's obsession with guns
Swiss remain European champions of train travel
The Swiss’ love for their trains continues unabated.
This is demonstrated by the new European comparison of train journeys and distances traveled per person, published on Monday by public transport association LITRA.
Die #Schweiz bleibt #Europameisterin im #Bahnfahren 🏆
Im Jahr 2022 hat jede Einwohnerin und jeder Einwohner durchschnittlich 61-mal die Bahn genutzt und dabei insgesamt 2'179 Kilometer zurückgelegt.
👉 https://t.co/9SCJAHXJzQ#övschweiz @sbbnews pic.twitter.com/s2N43fKP0x
— LITRA (@info_mobilitaet) December 11, 2023
With an average of 61 train trips per capita in 2022, Switzerland has consolidated its position as a leader in rail travel in Europe, well ahead of the Danes and Luxembourgers, with respectively 51 and 33 trips per inhabitant.
The Swiss are also champions in terms of distances traveled by train per capita with an average of 2,179 km — far more than their French neighbours, second-place holders, with 1,510 km per person.
Ticket prices on some night trains have soared
Austrian national railway, ÖBB, has increased the prices of Nightjet trains on certain dates, which also affects commuters in Switzerland.
For instance, the connection from Basel to Amsterdam in a single berth compartment for a trip in January 2023 now costs 600 euros — a hike of more than 100 percent from the former price of 285 euros.
For he Zurich – Vienna connection, the price is around 50 percent higher than before the timetable change on December 10th, depending on the type of ticket
The Zurich to Berlin or to Hamburg trains are now also more expessive.
The ÖBB apparently didn’t even communicate the new fares — or why they are more expensive on some days than others — with hikes discovered by commuters trying to purchase tickets.
These are the three main death causes in Switzerland
This may not be a pleasant topic, but if you ever wonder what are the three primary causes of death in Switzerland — which has one the highest life expectancies in the world — the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) has the answer.
In its report released on Monday, the FSO said that cardiovascular diseases account, at 27.5 percent, for the largest proportion of deaths.
Cancer is responsible for 23.1 percent of deaths, with dementia in the third place, accounting for 8.8 percent of all deaths registered in Switzerland.
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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Shooting suspect caught in a massive police action in Valais
A gunman who killed two people and injured another in the city of Sion, was apprehended Monday afternoon, after more than an eight-hour manhunt that spanned the entire canton.
The 36-year-old shot three people at a painting company where he once worked.
One of the victims was a woman he allegedly harassed before, and another was his former-boss with whom the suspect had disputes in the past. His relationship to the third victim, also employed at the company, is not clear at this time; she survived the shooting.
Gun deaths are relatively rare in Switzerland, despite the abundance of firearms in the country.
READ ALSO: Understanding Switzerland's obsession with guns
Swiss remain European champions of train travel
The Swiss’ love for their trains continues unabated.
This is demonstrated by the new European comparison of train journeys and distances traveled per person, published on Monday by public transport association LITRA.
Die #Schweiz bleibt #Europameisterin im #Bahnfahren 🏆
— LITRA (@info_mobilitaet) December 11, 2023
Im Jahr 2022 hat jede Einwohnerin und jeder Einwohner durchschnittlich 61-mal die Bahn genutzt und dabei insgesamt 2'179 Kilometer zurückgelegt.
👉 https://t.co/9SCJAHXJzQ#övschweiz @sbbnews pic.twitter.com/s2N43fKP0x
With an average of 61 train trips per capita in 2022, Switzerland has consolidated its position as a leader in rail travel in Europe, well ahead of the Danes and Luxembourgers, with respectively 51 and 33 trips per inhabitant.
The Swiss are also champions in terms of distances traveled by train per capita with an average of 2,179 km — far more than their French neighbours, second-place holders, with 1,510 km per person.
Ticket prices on some night trains have soared
Austrian national railway, ÖBB, has increased the prices of Nightjet trains on certain dates, which also affects commuters in Switzerland.
For instance, the connection from Basel to Amsterdam in a single berth compartment for a trip in January 2023 now costs 600 euros — a hike of more than 100 percent from the former price of 285 euros.
For he Zurich – Vienna connection, the price is around 50 percent higher than before the timetable change on December 10th, depending on the type of ticket
The Zurich to Berlin or to Hamburg trains are now also more expessive.
The ÖBB apparently didn’t even communicate the new fares — or why they are more expensive on some days than others — with hikes discovered by commuters trying to purchase tickets.
These are the three main death causes in Switzerland
This may not be a pleasant topic, but if you ever wonder what are the three primary causes of death in Switzerland — which has one the highest life expectancies in the world — the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) has the answer.
In its report released on Monday, the FSO said that cardiovascular diseases account, at 27.5 percent, for the largest proportion of deaths.
Cancer is responsible for 23.1 percent of deaths, with dementia in the third place, accounting for 8.8 percent of all deaths registered in Switzerland.
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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