After years of slow growth during the COVID pandemic, the popularity of public transport in Switzerland is picking up speed once again. 267 million tickets were sold last year, boosted by a rise in new subscriptions and digital passes.

Swiss transport providers earn 6,7 billion francs in 2024

In a statement, Alliance SwissPass confirmed that public transport providers in Switzerland earned 6,7 billion francs in 2024, an increase of 5,1 percent compared to 2023. “With this result, the industry has increased its profitability in the last twelve months… Public transport has taken on a central role in meeting the demand for mobility,” the association wrote.

Of the 267 million tickets sold last year, 70,6 percent were single passes. They were followed by day tickets at 19,1 percent and monthly subscriptions at 1,8 percent. 74 percent of tickets are now bought digitally online or via mobile phone.

When it came to profits, 29,8 percent of total income came from the sale of single passes. Though it only accounted for 0,7 percent of sales, the general subscription or GA travelcard provided 20,8 percent of total income. The pass, which offers unlimited access to the whole network, is the most expensive product sold by providers costing between 3.995 and 6.520 francs per adult per year.

2024 was a big year for new transport subscriptions

Providers attributed much of their success in 2024 to the Half-Fare Plus subscription. Having launched at the end of 2023, it has now been purchased 205.800 times, nearly quadruple what was expected. 

By the end of 2024, over 107.000 young people had also signed up for a GA Night subscription. However, there was no catching up to the most popular pass in Switzerland: at the end of 2024, 3,3 million Half-Fare travelcards were in circulation, 6,1 percent more than at the end of 2023.

Cost of Swiss public transport remains a key issue

While demand for public transport in Switzerland has continued to grow, its cost has become a topic of contention. On the one hand, the Official Swiss Price Monitor noted in a report that you have to go back to the 1990s to find a time when taking public transport was cheaper than driving. A similar study by LITRA found that while the Swiss railways are “value for money”, the country is one of the few where ticket prices have risen in the last decade.

On the other, the Association of Public Transport in Switzerland has predicted that ticket prices will have to rise by 30 percent by 2035 if nothing is done to bolster funding. They argued that if providers are to increase and maintain quality services, in line with the country’s climate targets, more money needs to be provided from somewhere.

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