New SBB timetable: more night trains in Switzerland

If the new CFF timetable especially disrupts habits in French-speaking Switzerland, it is also experiencing changes in the rest of Switzerland. On Wednesday, the former federal government announced new night trains and more connections to neighboring countries.

We have known since November 15 that French-speaking Switzerland is about to experience its biggest timetable change since Rail 2000. The new CFF timetable, which will come into force on Sunday December 15, will offer 15% more trains in French-speaking Switzerland .

On Wednesday, the former federal government presented the rest of the changes brought about by the new schedule. This has a dual objective: to improve punctuality and to enable the numerous construction works linked to the maintenance and extension of the railway network to be carried out, write the CFF in a press release.

Main lines, regional and neighboring foreign countries

New night trains will be introduced for mainline and regional traffic, as well as more trains to neighboring foreign countries. Commuting traffic will be subject to occasional improvements.

As part of a pilot project, night trains will operate on the line Berne‒Olten–Zurich main station–Zurich airport over eight weekends, and between Bienne and Geneva Airport as well as between Fribourg/Sion and Geneva – Airport during several weekends and public holidays. Improvements will also be made to regional night-time networks on weekends.

An additional train will run in each direction between Zurich and Munich. Travelers will thus be able to travel to Munich two hours earlier in the morning and return to Zurich two hours later in the evening. A direct train will be set up every Saturday from Geneva Airport to Locarno via Bern.

Nearly 1,600 special trains

Two daily mainline trains will also serve Bern-Wankdorf on working days, a rapidly developing district less than 3 minutes from the main station where the general management of the CFF and La Poste are located, as well as the central editorial office of Keystone- ATS. Travel times will thus be shortened for commuters and the main stations will be relieved of congestion. This concept has already proven itself in the Zurich region with the Altstetten and Oerlikon stops.

The SBB will also adapt to the record number of events in all regions of Switzerland, including the Eurovision Song Contest in Basel, the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 and the Federal Gymnastics Festival in Lausanne. SBB will operate nearly 1,600 special trains to transport the public in a climate-friendly manner to the sites of these and other events, such as stadium concerts, open airs and popular festivals.

The numerous construction sites will sometimes lead to longer journey times or force travelers to change trains more often, warn the SBB. They therefore recommend that their customers consult the timetable online on CFF.ch or in the CFF Mobile application before each trip.

Operating one of the busiest rail networks in the world, SBB faces a volume of necessary maintenance work that will continue to increase in the years to come. As it is used intensively, the network must be maintained accordingly so that trains continue to arrive at their destination on time and in complete safety, underlines the former federal authority.

The introduction of the new CFF timetables in French-speaking Switzerland has repercussions on the BLS Bern–Morat/Neuchâtel lines. From December 15, users will benefit from a half-hourly schedule without change between Bern and Murten. With the timetable change, the Kerzers–Morat line will be completely transferred to BLS. CFF trains on the S9 from Lausanne will now turn around from Murten, indicates the company BLS in a separate press release.

Another effect of the new schedule is the disappearance of an old type of vehicle on the BLS line network. The 35 RBDe type trains, acquired from 1981, have been gradually taken out of service since 2022 until the next timetable change and replaced by MIKA type trains.

Therefore, from December 15, BLS will only operate the four train types MIKA, MUTZ, NINA and Lötschberger. Thanks to the standardization of the vehicle fleet, rail operations are more efficient and less subject to disruptions, underlines the BLS.

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