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Train reminder

Posted by (Los Angeles) on

I was just watching the latest train video on Simply Railway, where Thibault is the king of train travel.

He took the tilting train from Geneva to Zurich and liked it for a change, he hasn't had the best luck with Swiss tilting trains.

Anyway ... he makes a point worth repeating - there is so much activity at Swiss train stations that the trains don't linger. His train pulled in 10 minutes before departure and left on the dot. So don't dilly dally getting off or getting on, they have a schedule to meet!

Posted by
11600 posts

Good point, Phred. Also, just because a train is on "your" platform, it may not be "your" train. We had friends arrive at the station 30 minutes before their train was to leave. They were newbies to trains and I had specified the train, departure time, and specific platform for them. There was a train already in place so they hopped on and it left...early. Like 20 minutes before the train they had tickets for. You guessed it: wrong train to wrong destination. The Swiss are nothing if not exacting regarding train times and locations.

Posted by
2330 posts

Swiss trains are mass transit. Basically this is a nationwide commuter train network, and I wish we would again take a leaf from the Dutch book.
The Dutch invented the coordinated interval timetable. The Swiss perfected it. The Dutch are now doing away with timetables, just running trains every 10 minutes. I think Switzerland should follow suit...

Posted by
2330 posts

And another reminder: You need to have a ticket before you board. And better have the right ticket. And if you have your passport or ID ready if you have an electronic tickets. Our train conductors are at the end of their nerves at the moment, with all those tourists, many coming from countries that do not have train travel...

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