There is on average one accident every three days at level crossings, according to Federal Office of Transport statistics, which have been seen by the SonntagsZeitung.
Since 2010, 1,539 incidents have been reported, the equivalent of 170 per year. Collisions have caused almost CHF37 million ($37 million) in damage, 67 people have died, and 347 people have been injured.
The more than 4,500 level crossings at railways in the country should have been checked and made safe by 2014. According to the Federal Office of TransportExternal link, the number of accident victims has fallen over the last years.
“Switzerland now does very well in international comparisons. But of course each accident is an accident too many,” said spokesman Andreas Windlinger in the articleExternal link.
But at the end of 2017, 230 of the crossings still did not reach legal safety standards, the newspaper said.
The main cause of the accidents was not faulty infrastructure though, but human error. In more than 90% of cases accidents occurred due to cars or pedestrians breaking the rules.
In the last few weeks police have been calling for people to be more careful after level crossing collisions in Uster near Zurich and in the resort of Davos, in eastern Switzerland, the home of the World Economic Forum (WEF).
More
More
Campaign aims to boost public transport safety further
This content was published on
2017 saw 167 serious accidents on public transport in Switzerland, the second lowest figure in 11 years, but authorities want to bring it down further.
Protein in abdominal fat could help shape obesity treatment
This content was published on
The study analysed fat cells from different locations in the body, and found that those in the abdomen have unique properties.
North African asylum claims fall after rapid Swiss processing
This content was published on
The accelerated procedure, now out of its test phase, has resulted in a significant drop in applications from North African countries.
This content was published on
The artist's song "The Code" focuses on their journey as a nonbinary individual. It is one of the favourites to win this year's contest.
Swiss climate activists block vehicles near Gotthard tunnel
This content was published on
Around ten climate activists briefly blocked the A2 motorway near the northern entrance of the Gotthard tunnel on Thursday.
Watches belonging to Michael Schumacher up for auction
This content was published on
Schumacher's family is auctioning off eight rare watches from his collection in Geneva. The Christie's auction will take place on Monday.
Joya Marleen and Baschi named best solo acts at Swiss Music Awards
This content was published on
St. Gallen singer Joya Marleen and Baschi from Basel were named artists of the year at the Swiss Music Awards 2024 on Wednesday night.
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
Train collides with tourist coach in Interlaken
This content was published on
Police said the accident occurred at a level crossing on Friday evening between two stations in Interlaken. The victims of the crash – mostly tourists from Asia – were taken to hospital for treatment, but most of them were able to leave a few hours later, according to a statement published on Saturday. An investigation…
This content was published on
More and more passengers using Swiss Federal Railways arrived on time in 2014, cementing Swiss trains’ reputation as the most punctual in Europe.
This content was published on
Two of the eleven people injured when a passenger train in eastern Switzerland was partially derailed by a landslide on Wednesday have now left hospital. Meanwhile, the Graubünden cantonal authorities have opened a probe into the accident.
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.