Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) and authorities in Canton Zurich have announced that self-driving vehicles will be tested in the region from next spring. The new autonomous cars will be used to ferry travellers to and from regular public transport services.

Autonomous taxi service to be tested by SBB

In a statement, SBB confirmed that it would be testing self-driving transport services from the spring of 2025. The tests themselves will be concentrated in the Furrtal - the valley between Zurich and Baden which includes the settlements of Regensdorf, Buchs and Otelfingen among others.

As part of the project, self-driving cars will be used as taxis to connect rural areas with regular train and bus services. Once the test phase is complete, users will be able to order the autonomous vehicles via their mobile phone, which will then take them from one designated stop to another for a fee. These vehicles use sensors and software so that they can travel safely on public roads without a driver.

However, initially, workers at SBB will sit behind the wheel so that the cars don’t get into trouble. Eventually, SBB hopes to upgrade the system so that self-driving minibuses could be used to take more travellers. 

Zurich one of the first places to use full self-driving public transport

As to why the Furrtal in Zurich was chosen, SBB noted that the region “is ideally suited for the project due to its settlement structure, its size and its existing public transport network with a central S-Bahn line.” The system itself will be developed by Swiss Transit Lab, with Canton Zurich paying 3,8 million francs and SBB paying 1 million francs per year for five years.

“SBB and the Canton of Zurich are convinced that automated services offer great opportunities, particularly in public transport. They can potentially be operated cost-effectively and flexibly,” the rail company wrote in a statement. SBB added that the system will allow them to connect smaller towns and villages where regular bus or rail services don't make financial sense.

Speaking to Watson, Canton Zurich Director of Economic Affairs Carmen Walker Späh (FDP) said that the project “means that the canton of Zurich will be one of the first in Europe to use driverless vehicles without safety drivers in public transport over a larger area."