Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

The integrated timetable of Switzerland

jokteur.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

11–20 of 162 posts

Re: The integrated timetable of Switzerland

#11

Post by jokteur »

mfsch wrote: post #10

What isn’t explained in the article is how this was made possible. While carefully adjusting departure times is certainly part of it, there were also a range of construction projects that shaved minutes off the travel times between major hubs to bring them just below multiples of 30 minutes (and 15 minutes in some cases). This makes it much easier to coordinate arrivals and departures and minimize transfer times. htt…

Author here: great suggestion, I will add this at the end of the article for supplementary readings

Re: The integrated timetable of Switzerland

#12

Post by belter »

No doubt Swiss train network is excellent.

If we are to trust to published statistics form other countries for 2018, and using for the Swiss system, the 2021 data mentioned in the article: "about 92% of passenger trains were on-time" this would make it for punctuality, somewhat middle of the league. Behind Poland, Greece and Bulgaria for example.

This is assuming being on time is: "a delay of five minutes or less". For Swiss network the article uses the definition: "a delay of three minutes or less".

"Share of regional and local passenger rail services classified as punctual in Europe in 2018, by country": https://www.statista.com/statistics/1255048/punctuality-regi...

Re: The integrated timetable of Switzerland

#13

Post by vladharbuz »

tragomaskhalos wrote: post #5
immmmmm wrote: post #2

Swiss here. Amazing system, using it everyday. Brutally expensive tickets tho.

That's not a bad trade-off to be fair. In the UK tickets (at least inter-city) are also brutally expensive but the system is, to put it kindly, often flakey.

As someone who has lived long-term in both countries, I think that while the Swiss system is absolutely better than the UK system, people in the UK are a bit _too_ self-deprecating about the UK rail system, which is, all things considered, relatively good. Honestly, the biggest pain point in my eyes is that, because of privatisation, it's not all integrated into a single booking/refund/information system, which unfortunately does it make it _feel_ quite flakey.

Re: The integrated timetable of Switzerland

#15

Post by p1anecrazy »

grncdr wrote: post #7
jokteur wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would say, if you take single tickets (even with the half-fare card), the tickets are quite more expensive than the trip with a normal car (counting costs of car, of gas, insurrance, ...). However, if you have a monthly fare because you go somewhere regularly, it is still expensive, but much more managable. The monthly General Abo (unlimited travel for all public transports in Switzerland) is ~340$/month. A parking…

That is way cheaper than I would have guessed. A yearly subscription for public transport in Berlin alone costs at least twice that.

S/he wrote 340 a month, not a year

Re: The integrated timetable of Switzerland

#16

Post by Zenst »

midasuni wrote: post #9
tragomaskhalos wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's not a bad trade-off to be fair. In the UK tickets (at least inter-city) are also brutally expensive but the system is, to put it kindly, often flakey.

I had a delay repay for the first time in years a few weeks ago - someone threw themselves under a train at Milton Keynes just before my train was due to leave Euston. I don’t consider £25 each way Manchester-London to be brutally expensive to be honest - http://brfares.com/!faredetail?orig=MAN&dest=EUS&rte=371&tkt...

Shows as £46.70, which still isn't bad, though off-peak is often less painful. If you have to use the train to commute to work, then things start raking up.

I live 15 miles outside London and 17 years ago was paying best part of £2k a year just to get into central london and back, today it would be the best part of £3k a year to make that same journey. Using the same tracks, (probably trains) and stations all those years ago. Though more people than back then, which was already at levels upon peak work commutes that saw you playing sardines.

Re: The integrated timetable of Switzerland

#17

Post by herbst »

p1anecrazy wrote: post #15
grncdr wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That is way cheaper than I would have guessed. A yearly subscription for public transport in Berlin alone costs at least twice that.

S/he wrote 340 a month, not a year

City tickets in Switzerland also are around 300-500/year. (sure our cities are nowhere near Berlin in size) the 340/m option does allow you to use nearly any transport (boats, trains, buses, some cable cars) in the whole country including price reductions (up to 50%) for most non-included transport methods (like private mountain trains or tourist hot spot cable cars).

Re: The integrated timetable of Switzerland

#19

Post by cybrox »

herbst wrote: post #8
baq wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

expensive in absolute or relative terms? is it expensive e.g. compared to a car?

Swiss here, it always depends. Some rides are cheaper by car but take less time by train and you have WiFi and fresh coffee in trains so it's only partially travel time partially leisure or work time. Some routes are more expensive, but again way more comfortable than a car. The there are dozens of hacks to save. Early booking, last minute bookings, half fair (which is only $200 or so a year and makes you pay half fo…

Half fare card is CHF 185 for the first year or CHF 165 for every subsequent year (CHF 120 / CHF 100 if you're 16-26).

For anyone planning to spend any amount of time in Switzerland and using PT, it is well worth considering. It does exactly what it says, you only pay half.

So assuming you travel from Zurich to Bern (CHF 51 -> CHF 26, you safe CHF 25), it's worth it after only 8 trips.

Re: The integrated timetable of Switzerland

#20

Post by config_yml »

Man it costs a lot of money to maintain this, but Switzerland will continue to invest heavily into rail service, backed by the public: https://www.bav.admin.ch/bav/en/home/modes-of-transport/rail...

One project I find pretty cool is the 4 track expansion via tunnel under and through an existing village: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vi2rmEl8ULA

Post reply on HN