Though public transport in Switzerland is often synonymous with high prices, a new study by the transport association LITRA has suggested that this picture is not as clear-cut as once assumed. Based on their comparison of transport in seven European nations, the cost of Swiss public transport tickets is nowhere near the highest on the continent, once incomes are taken into account.

"Blanket statement" about high Swiss rail prices "not correct"

While the cost of travelling by bus, train and tram in Switzerland is very expensive if prices are compared exactly, LITRA argued that this does not take what people can actually afford via their salaries, earnings and purchasing power into account. “In order to properly evaluate a service offering, it is not enough to simply compare prices. The more important question is: what do I get for my money?” Centre Party National Councillor and LITRA president Martin Candinas wrote.

Therefore, the study took seven European countries (United Kingdom, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy and Austria) and ranked them by how much it costs to travel, once the residents' purchasing power is considered. In this regard, they found that the “blanket statement” about high Swiss prices “is not correct.”

Switzerland's railways place mid-table in Europe for affordability

When adjusted for purchasing power, they found that regular travellers pay around two francs per day for public transport in Switzerland, slightly less than in Germany and the Netherlands, but more than in Italy and Austria. However, all countries were far behind the UK, which was ranked as the most expensive for locals at over five francs per person per day.

This changed among seniors, where Switzerland was rated as having the second highest transport costs, just behind Germany. LITRA explained that the highly lucrative railcards offered to seniors in the UK and Austria are the main reason why the two nations fall down the order. Those who only take infrequent journeys without a half-fare travel card (i.e. tourists) also pay significantly more in the alpine nation.

Swiss public transport offers the best value for money

At the same time, LITRA argued that residents of Switzerland get the most value for money when it comes to transport. In its analysis of punctuality, network density, variety of services, and speed of long-distance trains, Switzerland placed top with a score of 12,4 out of 16, far ahead of the Netherlands in second with 5,9 points, Austria in third with 5,5 points and Germany in fourth with 5,3 points. 

Though Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) and other local providers matched Nederlandse Spoorwegen in terms of punctuality, and were far behind the likes of France and Italy in terms of speed, the density and variety of different services offered put them in a class of their own. By contrast, the United Kingdom placed bottom thanks to its relative lack of rail services.

Rail in Switzerland struggles to compete with flying on price

It wasn’t all sunshine though: LITRA noted that Switzerland is the only country out of the seven where public transport costs have risen in the last 10 years. What’s more, Germany and Austria are quickly catching up to Switzerland in terms of cost adjusted for purchasing power, largely thanks to the Deutschlandticket and climate ticket respectively.

Though the Swiss railways perform well against other countries, they still struggle to compete with driving and flying. A 2023 study from Greenpeace found that on average, flights from Swiss airports to destinations in Europe are 70 percent cheaper than taking the train, while a 2024 Swiss Price Monitor study found that you have to go back to the 1990s to find a time when taking public transport was cheaper than driving.