Who is responsible for creating the timetable, why does it change so often and what are the most important changes this year? This blog post tells you everything you need to know about the timetable change.
Who creates the timetable?
If you think that SBB does this on its own, you are mistaken. Numerous partners are involved: The Swiss Federal Office of Transport, the cantons and other transport companies both in Switzerland and abroad.
SBB is planning to offer long-distance traffic with the help of the concession received from the Swiss federal government . Both profitable and non-profitable routes are operated so that you can enjoy well-connected travel throughout Switzerland.
The cantons are responsible for planning regional traffic. Every two years they order the offer in the SBB regional traffic.
The timetables for long-distance traffic, regional traffic and buses are coordinated so that you can get from A to B as quickly as possible. International traffic is also organised with our foreign partner railways.
You too have an influence on the timetable.
Unsatisfied with the services? On the draft timetable page, you have access to national planning and can raise your concerns about each canton’s timetable.
Why and how often is there a change?
The timetable change ensures that trains continue to operate on time in the event of changes to services such as engineering work, new stations, tracks or more quickly accessible routes.
Since 2003, the timetable has changed during the second Saturday night in December. A small adjustment is made each year during the second Saturday night in June. These cut-off dates apply internationally.
For such an intensively used network as that of SBB, however, two days are not enough. Minor amendments are also required consistently throughout the year. An example of this is in the event of a line interruption.
How long does it take for a timetable to come into effect?
Planning takes place in different phases. At SBB, we talk of long-term resource and service planning (LAR), medium-term resource and service planning (MAR), annual planning (JAR) and planning over the course of the year. All phases of planning consider the interaction between services, infrastructure, rolling stock, stations and financing.
LAR deals with anything that lies more than six years in the future. For example, infrastructure, rolling stock and service requirements are currently being defined for the large-scale project Léman 2030 .
MAR quantifies the financial requirements. Finally, JAR meticulously prepares the timetable change. In September, the operational plans are consulted over several conferences. To ensure that travel runs smoothly, the timetables for engine drivers, train crew, customer information, RailClean, shunters, etc. must be coordinated like clockwork.
The big day.
The rehearsal takes place on the second Sunday of December: this demonstrates whether the planning has considered all factors, if our trains are arriving on time and if you as a customer are being informed of all the important changes. On Monday, when the commuters are back on on the move, initial problems have already been solved, minor glitches are still being adapted over the course of the week and by Christmas at the latest everyone has got used to the new timetable.
The biggest adaptations for 2018 at a glance.
Western Switzerland is to benefit from the biggest adaptations. The InterRegio service on the Geneva Airport–Bern–Lucerne line will now stop in Nyon, Morges, Palézieux and Romont. As a result, Nyon and Morges will have a direct service to Bern. Palézieux and Romont will now have a quicker direct service to Geneva and Geneva Airport and more seats are available. InterRegio trains on the Geneva Airport–Lausanne–Brig line will now operate an hourly service without stopping between Geneva and Lausanne. As a result, the travel time between Valais, the Riviera and Geneva will be reduced.
In international passenger traffic, there is now a daily service between Zurich and Venice. In addition, one pair of trains will run per day directly from Frankfurt to Milan. The Zurich–Stuttgart line will now operate on an hourly basis too. You can find further timetable adjustments in the timetable.
Uniform and simple designations.
We have tidied up the designations: in national long-distance traffic we will now only distinguish between the brands IC (Inter-City) and IR (InterRegio). The InterCity tilting train will now be defined as IC. Passengers who are prone to motion sickness can however rest assured – “rolling stock with titling technology” will be indicated in the timetables just like before.
In the future, RE (RegioExpress) will only be used in regional traffic with a few exceptions limited to rolling stock.
Introduction of line numbers.
Our IR and IC trains are now numbered consecutively. This makes our national network plan easy to understand, just like the maps of an underground railway network, and primarily helps both you and foreign passengers to find your way more quickly.
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Got any more questions about the timetable change?
The following links provide further information about the new 2018 timetable, which is valid from Sunday 10 December 2017.
https://www.sbb.ch/en/timetable.html (SBB timetable)
sbb.ch/en/timetable/timetable-information/timetable-change (main changes)
sbb.ch/fernverkehr (SBB long-distance traffic)
company.sbb.ch/en/the-company/projects (construction projects on the SBB network)
More links (only in German):
- Fahrplanentwurf.ch (2019 draft timetable, available from 1 January 2018)
- Fahrplanfelder.ch/en/welcome (route tables for the official timetable)
- Printed timetables (SBB departure posters and pocket timetables, personal travel schedule)
- “SBB is constantly adapting – timetable change without official timetable” (SRF News, 23.11.17)
- 2018 official timetable (Swiss Transport and Environment Association)
- Changes to the public transport sector product range (Saver Day Pass instead of 9 o’clock travelpasses and a discount on 1-day travelpass multipacks)
Der Beitrag Everything you need to know about the timetable change. erschien zuerst auf SBB Stories..