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Train connection time Zurich to Bern

There is a short connection time traveling from Zurich to Bern - 6 minutes. Can we make it to the next terminal? If we miss the train connection, can we catch the next train? Our tickets could be semi-flexible or non- flexible. Not sure what that means.

Posted by
8880 posts

Swiss trains operate on time. This transfer will probably be simply walking across a platform to the other side. Key to making any train transfers is the ability for each person to manage his/her own luggage when boarding, exiting, and transferring trains.

Posted by
21144 posts

Where is the connection? Olten? Why are you taking a train with a connection when there are 4 direct trains every hour?

Posted by
2494 posts

What day are you travelling? And where are you getting your schedule and ticket information from? Normal Swiss tickets are fully flexible, so good for any train.

Posted by
2 posts

Thanks everyone. We figured it out. Appreciate your responses.
The message was not clear enough because i was trying to be brief. We are departing on a Sunday and travelling to Lauterbrunnen from Zurich. We needed to transfer in Bern to another train and I was worried about the time it would take to make that second train. Hopefully it will all work out.

Posted by
2494 posts

I do that transfer regularly, and it is easy. Just listen for the announcements (the train to Interlaken will be announced in your train) and then follow the signs.

Posted by
21144 posts

OK, now we understand. Looking specifically at the train departing Zurich HB at 13:32, it arrives at Bern at 14:28 on Track 3. You have to transfer to the next train on track 5 at 14:34. That means you have to go up the escalator or stairway to the cross over bridge and walk about 30 ft to the escalator or stairway down to the platform for Track 5.
View from the Track 5 escalator:
https://www.google.com/maps/@46.9482689,7.436511,3a,90y,131.87h,69.1t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipNNiGKsDk1pZ4ixVyrCTP_6NFdA6ebBzDRpVMx-!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipNNiGKsDk1pZ4ixVyrCTP_6NFdA6ebBzDRpVMx-%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi-0-ya174.2098-ro-0-fo100!7i5660!8i2830

If you miss that train, there will be another train to Interlaken Ost at 15:07 from the same Track 5, but you will have to make another change at Spiez. That is an easy 9 minute connection because it is cross-platform change from Track 3 to Track 2. At Interlaken Ost, you will have a leisurely 17 minute change to Track 2a for the next train to Lauterbrunnen, That will be down through the cross-over tunnel to change tracks. Make sure you board the train to a carriage headed to Lauterbrunnen. They will be clearly marked. The train splits halfway to Lauterbrunnen and the other half goes to Grindelwald.

Short story is you will get to Lauterbrunnen an hour later than planned, but you will get there.

Posted by
2494 posts

If you miss the 14:34 the next train for you is the 15:04, not the 15:07, that last one will add another half hour to your already delayed trip...