The new Swiss train called Giruno is the federal railways' first international long-distance train with low-floor access serving Italy, Switzerland and Germany. It is also the first Swiss train with separate restrooms for men and women.
Keystone
Several European rail companies, including the Swiss Federal Railways, are expanding their network capacity to provide more options for people travelling in and out of Switzerland.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/sm
The Swiss Federal Railways, along with Deutsche Bahn (DB), the French state railways SNCF and the Italian counterpart Trenitalia are offering additional international rail services to meet increased demand. Also, the Swiss and Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) plan to further develop night train services between Switzerland and Austria.
In Zurich on Saturday, the rail companies presented new trains including the ICE 4, a high-speed German train with service from Zurich and Chur, and free WLAN, starting next month. The new fleet has 20% more capacity than the previous trains, which were about 30 years old.
This Tweet shows the ICE 4 along with two other new trains:
Also starting next month, the French TGV Lyria will operate 15 double-decker trains on the routes from Zurich, Lausanne and Geneva to Paris – replacing the current single-decker trains. The timetable will also be expanded. These moves will increase the daily capacity from 4,500 to 18,000 seats. All passengers will get free WLAN, and those in “first-class business” will receive hot meals at their seats.
The new Swiss Giruno train is the federal railways’ first international long-distance train with low-floor access for Italy, Switzerland and Germany. Also offering free WLAN, it takes to the tracks next month, with service to Chiasso and from spring 2020 to Milan. When the Ceneri Base Tunnel opens in 2021, travel times to Italy will be much faster.
“With the introduction of three new fleets, [the Swiss and partner railways] are offering a comfortable and climate-friendly range of services to neighbouring countries. The use of the new trains for international expansion will enable the railways to expand their capacity in the medium- and long-term, thus strengthening their competitiveness compared to airplanes, cars and other modes of transport,” said Swiss Federal RailwaysExternal link in a media release.
Train travel is also expected to get cheaper. The Swiss Federal Railways’ online sales system for international tickets is undergoing a major overhaul to make it easier for customers to search for and book economy fares.
More
More
Swiss railways see more demand for train trips abroad
This content was published on
According to a report in the NZZ am Sonntag newspaper, demand for night train journeys especially increased on stretches between Switzerland and the German cities of Berlin and Hamburg, while overall demand for international trips rose most on routes to France. Federal Railways Spokesperson Sabine Baumgartner told the NZZ am Sonntag it was impossible to…
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Abbot of Saint-Maurice steps down following sex abuse report
This content was published on
Jean Scarcella has decided to step down as Abbot of Saint-Maurice in the Swiss canton of Valais, the abbey announced on Saturday.
Philipp Matthias Bregy named new president of Centre Party
This content was published on
Valais National Councillor Philipp Matthias Bregy is the new President of the Centre Party. The delegates elected him as the successor to Gerhard Pfister on Saturday in Bern without discussion.
Global call for active neutrality launched from Geneva
This content was published on
A number of players have launched a worldwide appeal for active neutrality in Geneva at a time when the major powers are taking a tougher line. The city is competing with Vienna to attract an international congress on this issue in 2026.
This content was published on
The M'Tongé gorilla has died at Basel Zoo at the age of 26. The dominant male had to be euthanised on Friday morning owing to a parasite infection.
This content was published on
Swiss Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter, who holds the rotating Swiss presidency this year, has been invited to Paris by French President Emmanuel Macron.
Swiss canton coordinates donations for landslide destroyed village
This content was published on
The Swiss canton of Valais to form committee to coordinate CHF 57.4 million donations for village destroyed by a landslide.
Body of Blatten landslide victim found and identified
This content was published on
The body of 64-year-old man, who has been missing since part of the Brich glacier collapsed on the Swiss village of Blatten has been found.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss night trains: past, present and future
This content was published on
The Swiss Federal Railways is discussing re-investing in sleeper trains, reacting to a public increasingly sceptical of flying short distances.
This content was published on
Jump on, ride to your stop, hop off — without offending anybody. Sounds easy, but it’s not, warns a guru of Swiss transport etiquette.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.