How punctual are Swiss trains?
Yesterday, I was on a Swiss train that was 10 minutes late. I thought perhaps it was the end of the world ...
The Swiss railways have a reputation for being very punctual (the joke being you can set your watch by them). When planning train trips through Switzerland, you are often given very tight connections at Swiss stations, and told not to worry as the trains will be on time and you'll make them just fine.
As long as the trains are all on time, that's fine, and actually makes for quicker journeys (as there's no waiting around at intermediate stations). How punctual are Swiss trains though? Can you almost always rely on them to be on time? (Government/Regulatory figures would be preferred to anecdotes!)
Best Answer
The normal service of trains and buses is accurate within a just a few minutes interval, and most typically it is really so.
However if something happens, much longer delays are possible, and this "something" is not extremely uncommon. The train I use for travelling to work slightly deviates from the schedule somewhat once a week and deviates dramatically (over 20 min or even no service at all) somewhat twice per year.
Most of the services operate on hourly basis, or even more frequently. If your journey is very time critical, like travelling to the airport for the expensive flight, or to your job interview, I would suggest to depart earlier, leaving the last still possible train or bus for reserve.
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Do Swiss trains run on time?
Swiss trains are renowned for being on time, but whether your local train is typically on time or not depends on where you live and the service. Each day, 1.25 million passengers travel on the densest rail network in Europe.How reliable are trains in Switzerland?
According to the 2017 European Railway Performance Index, Switzerland has the highest-performing railway system in all of Europe with a score of 7.2 out of 10. The Swiss trains are used intensively by passenger traffic and receive good ratings for safety and quality of service.Which country has the most punctual trains?
Dutch passenger trains set a new punctuality record by reaching a mark of 91.4 per cent in 2018. This result ensured a rank of the Netherlands in the top three list of countries with the most punctual passenger rail transport. Other counties in the top three include Japan and Switzerland.Why are the Swiss obsessed with time?
\u201cThe Swiss derive genuine joy from the fact that life unfolds on time and in a highly efficient manner.\u201dWhy Swiss Trains are the Best in Europe
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