Switzerland's Intercity Trains

The Cisalpino Pendolino passes the Castle of Chilon on its way from Milan to Geneva. (The SBB's new "tilting trains" are based on the Pendolino concept.)

Switzerland's amazing rail network just gets better and better. Recently, the Swiss railroads doubled the frequency of intercity trains on several important routes and added new equipment to reduce travel times.

More trains

Intercity trains now run every half hour between Zürich and Biel/Bienne, Zürich and Lausanne, and Bern and Biel/Bienne. With existing half-hourly service on other routes, this means passengers can catch a train on most Intercity lines every half hour.

The Swiss railroads are also moving towards 24-hour service. More than 20 late-night trains have been added for the convenience of residents and tourists who attend evening culture events. Also, new crack-of-dawn trains make it easier for passengers to reach the Zürich and Geneva airports by 5:30 or 6 a.m. for early-morning flights.

Faster service

Most Intercity lines are now being equipped with either ICN tilting trains (which allow higher speeds on curves) or double-decker IC 2000 trains that operate at speeds up to 200 km/h or 125 mph. This means quicker connections between cities. For example, the time between Zürich and Lausanne has been shaved by 17 minutes.

Next Page > Playroom, groceries > Page 1, 2

RailEurope our partner
If you live in the U.S., Canada, or the United Kingdom, you can use this site to buy Swiss, Austrian, and other European rail passes in your local currency. The site, which is operated by the Swiss and French national railroads, also has links to general agents in other countries.

Information source: Switzerland Tourism (New York).
Photo Copyright ©  Switzerland Tourism. Used by permission.

Follow @durant_imboden

|  Europe for Visitors  |  Germany  |

|  About us  |  Contact  |  Testimonials  |  Audience  |  Disclosures  |  Privacy  |

Copyright © 1996-2012 Durant and Cheryl Imboden and their licensors. All rights reserved.