The industry association for public transport in Switzerland, Alliance SwissPass, has confirmed that ticket prices across the country are to remain the same. This is the sixth time in a row that the price of public transport tickets has been frozen, to help encourage more customers to use the railways after the pandemic.

Ticket prices will not go up to encourage demand

Despite an increasingly volatile financial situation for public transport companies, Alliance SwissPass said that they are to forgo a general price increase for tickets. In a statement, the association made it clear that the decision was made to “win back customers lost after the pandemic.”

COVID-19, and the subsequent restrictions imposed on the country by the government, have led to a significant decline in the number of passengers on Switzerland's railways. It is hoped that the lack of a price increase will encourage more people to use the service.

Sixth-time ticket prices frozen in Switzerland

It comes as the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs predicted a 1,1 percent increase in the cost of consumer goods by the end of 2022. In addition, price increases on products like oil and energy have burdened the transport industry with additional costs.

However, Swiss rail, bus, boat and tram companies will not increase the price of their tickets. Instead, a wide-ranging campaign is planned for the coming months, advertising the newly reduced cost of Swiss travel passes - which have become 21 percent cheaper - highlighting free travel for children under 6 years old and new cheap "class change" tickets that allow for first-class upgrades on routes between Swiss cities.