The cantonal government of Geneva has set aside billions of francs for expanding public transport in the region, with the aim of increasing services by nearly a third by the end of the decade. Residents and visitors to Geneva can also benefit from faster connections across the city, thanks to the latest expansion of the Léman Express.

Geneva to spend billions on expanding public transport

In a statement, Canton Geneva confirmed that it will spend 1,941 billion francs on subsidising transports publics genevois (tpg) between 2025 and 2029. In all, they hope to increase the number of public transport services in and around the city by 29 percent by the end of 2029.

The money is set to be used on expanding the tram network to reach more of Grand-Saconnex and eventually connect the French town of Ferney-Voltaire - north of Geneva Airport - with the centre of the city. Elsewhere, the canton hopes to expand the tram network southwards to include Perly and Saint-Julien. There are also plans for a “high-level bus line extending from Frontenex to Thônex and Vernier".

Finally, the plans will also involve "a significant increase in the frequencies on the bus lines, early in the morning, in the evening, at night and at weekends."

Léman Express to run more frequently from September

While residents of the Swiss city will have to wait a while to see these plans made a reality, another service has already been expanded. From September 2, travellers using Léman Express can expect more frequent connections. 

The S-Bahn service, launched in December 2019, now sports six individual lines and provides French cities and local commuter towns along Lake Geneva and in the Arve and Rhône valleys with a direct connection to central Geneva.

With 70.000 people now riding the Léman Express every day, the frequency of trains on the line has been expanded during off-peak hours. The canton said this makes the service “even more attractive for workers with irregular schedules or for leisure travel.” They also hoped it would better align the service with the upcoming 2025 timetable from Swiss Federal Railways.

As of Monday, Léman Express services will run every quarter of an hour in both directions between Annemasse and Coppet, during all times of day rather than just peak hours. Quarter-hourly services will run up until midnight from Monday to Saturday, and until 10pm on Sundays.

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