On December 15, 2024, Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) will switch to its new timetable for 2025. Here’s what expats need to know about the schedule, labelled by the company as the most radical change western Switzerland has seen since the turn of the century.

Expat guide to the train timetable changes in Switzerland for 2025

As part of the new timetable, SBB will be modifying and expanding rail services across Switzerland. Here’s a rundown of all the biggest changes passengers should expect.

SBB to expand international train services

Starting with international services, SBB confirmed that the often-delayed EuroCity service between Zurich and Munich via Winterthur and St. Gallen will be expanded. Two extra services will run in both directions from December 15, one in the early morning and one late at night. The services from Zurich HB will arrive in the capital of Bavaria at 9.05am and 11.04pm respectively.

Thanks to the reopening of the Gotthard Base Tunnel in September 2024, EC services between Basel, Lucerne and Milan, Frankfurt and Milan and direct trains between Switzerland, Bologna and Genoa are back up and running. Following the Gotthard's reopening, half-hourly public transport services will run through the tunnel in both directions.

From the timetable change, the direct InterCity (IC) 8 service from Zurich to Brig will run year-round and be extended to the Italian city of Domodossola. The direct TGV Lyria service between Lausanne, Geneva, Avignon, Aix-en-Provence and Marseille will offered again in 2025, from June 28 to August 24.

Timetable changes in German-speaking Switzerland

Moving to German-speaking Switzerland, SBB will increase the number of IC5 services running between Zurich, St. Gallen and Rorschach. The change means long-distance trains between St. Gallen and the banks of Lake Constance will run every 30 minutes.

In Bern, to relieve pressure on the main station, two IC trains between the de-facto capital and Zurich HB will stop in Bern Wankdorf, one in the morning and one in the evening during rush hour. Switzerland’s new night train network will also come to life for the first time, with early morning trains between Bern, Olten, Zurich HB and Zurich Airport.

Rail service changes in western Switzerland

By far the biggest changes to rail services will come in French-speaking Switzerland, with SBB noting it amounts to the biggest timetable change since the Bahn 2000 plan was put into operation. 15 percent more rail services will be offered in the region from December 15, 2024.

From the timetable change, IC5, IC1, InterRegional (IR) 90 and RegioExpress (RE) 33 trains will stop in Renens, creating a brand new transfer hub in Canton Vaud. This will ease pressure on the station in Lausanne and give residents west of the city a half-hourly fast service to Geneva. 

However, as a consequence of the extra stop, journey times on long-distance trains on the line will be around 5 minutes longer. What’s more, while the IC5 (Geneva-Yverdon-Neuchâtel-Biel-Zurich) will now run every half an hour, it will reroute to Renens and terminate in Lausanne instead of Geneva. This means that travellers between Zurich and Geneva will have to either change in Renens or take the IC1, while Genevans looking to travel to Yverdon or Neuchâtel will have to use the IR57.

Extra services planned between Lake Geneva and Valais

Elsewhere, the RE33 between Annemasse to Vevey or St-Maurice will be extended to run to Martigny once an hour. This would give the gateway to Valais three trains to and from the Lake Geneva region, and provide four long-distance services per hour between Aigle and Geneva. RE33s will also stop at all stations between Annemasse and Geneva.

SBB confirmed that a new night train network will also be introduced in the city. This will run through the night on all weekdays. 

S-Bahn changes and station closures in French-speaking Switzerland

In addition, several changes will be made to S-Bahn networks in the French-speaking region, these are:

• The R13 train between Biel / Bienne and Neuchâtel will be extended to Yverdon-les-Bains.
• Fribourg S-Bahns between Neuchâtel and Fribourg will run every half hour.
• The R7 will be extended to run between Vevey and Palézieux.
• The S40 and S41 between Lausanne and Fribourg will be extended to Yverdon-les-Bains from June 28, 2025.
• Further S-Bahn services will be built up between Bern, Yverdon-les-Bains and Fribourg.

In addition, Ligerz (Bern), Vevey-Funi (Vaud), Yverdon-Champ Pittet (Vaud) and Matran (Fribourg) stations will be closed to trains, the latter being served by buses until the new Avry-Matran station is completed in December 2025. Corseaux-Cronalles (Vaud) will only be served by trains in the evening.

SBB to continue special rail services in 2025

Finally, when it comes to special and holiday services, SBB confirmed the early morning train from towns in French-speaking Switzerland to Geneva Airport - to help passengers take the earliest flights of the day - will run at the beginning of the school holidays and on the Christmas and New Year weekends.

The Verbier Express between the Lake Geneva region and Le Châble VS - the gateway to the famous Swiss ski resort - and the VosAlpes Express from Fribourg to Le Châble VS will also be making a comeback in the 2025 timetable. These services will operate from December 17 to April 27 on weekends and public holidays.

Discover the SBB timetable for 2025

For more information about the new SBB timetable and how it affects your region, check out the official website.

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