New Swiss rail timetable expands offer to tourist regions

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The GoldenPass Express direct line now allows passengers to travel from Montreux on Lake Geneva to Interlaken in the Bernese Oberland without changing trains. © Keystone / Peter Klaunzer

Swiss Federal Railways has launched a new timetable, which offers more regional services and direct links between eastern and western Switzerland, and additional connections to popular tourist regions.

From Sunday, trains run every two hours directly between Romanshorn, in canton Thurgau, and Interlaken, in canton Bern. Basel and Olten, in canton Solothurn, also benefit from additional direct connections to canton Valais.

Two direct trains will connect French-speaking Switzerland with Chur in canton Graubünden in southeast Switzerland every weekend. The GoldenPass Express line will also allow passengers to travel from Montreux on Lake Geneva to Interlaken in the heart of the Bernese Oberland without changing trains.

Services to and from Geneva Airport will be increased on weekends with direct RegioExpress trains every hour from Bex, Villeneuve, Renens, Allaman, Rolle, Gland or Coppet in canton Vaud.

Night trains

An additional night train from Zurich will allow passengers to travel to Prague. The number of places on night trains to Hamburg, Berlin, Vienna and Graz will be gradually expanded, while an additional train will run between Zurich and Stuttgart.

Winter sports fans will once again be able to take the Verbier Express, linking Geneva Airport and Le Châble in canton Valais, and the VosAlpes Express, linking Fribourg and Le Châble. These will run on weekends and public holidays this winter.

The funicular train between Sierre and Crans-Montana in canton Valais is also working again after almost a year out of action. The 4.2-kilometre line was completely rebuilt and the two cabins replaced. The frequency of trips has been reduced from 30 to 20 minutes and connections with the Simplon line have been optimised.

From the beginning of 2023, a special train is planned between Bellinzona and Lausanne via Lucerne and Bern.

Swiss Federal Railways warns that maintenance and infrastructure work will increase “substantially” from 2023. The modernisation of Fribourg station and the renewal of the track between Palézieux and Puidoux will lead to timetable adjustments and will affect the Geneva-Lausanne and Lausanne-Bern lines.

About Swissinfo

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