How punctual are Swiss trains?
- By
- Aparna Patel
- |
- 31 Jul, 2023
- |
The normal service of trains and buses is accurate within a just a few minutes interval, and most typically it is really so.
However if something happens, much longer delays are possible, and this “something” is not extremely uncommon. The train I use for travelling to work slightly deviates from the schedule somewhat once a week and deviates dramatically (over 20 min or even no service at all) somewhat twice per year.
Most of the services operate on hourly basis, or even more frequently. If your journey is very time critical, like travelling to the airport for the expensive flight, or to your job interview, I would suggest to depart earlier, leaving the last still possible train or bus for reserve.
Official punctuality statistics can be found via the website of the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS):
https://reporting.sbb.ch/en/quality
Percentage of passengers who arrive on time or less than three minutes late
Customer punctuality: 2015: 87.8%, 2016: 88.8%, 2017: 89.0%
The interpreration is left to you.
Punctuality statistics are often meaningless. Rail companies can too easily fine tune them. Moreover they are often meaningless for travelers. If someone tells you that 99% of the trains have less than 5 minutes delay or that 99% and precisely YOUR train is late … For instance, if delays systematically occur in the late evening and you always travel in the late evening, “good” aggregate punctuality figures are only of little comfort. You will end up by saying that these statistics are “nonsensical” or “useless”. There is some subjectivity involved.
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