As summer temperatures rise, some users of public transport in Switzerland have been complaining about a lack of air conditioning on trains, trams and buses. This limited cooling is deliberate, according to SRF.

In an interview with SRF, a spokesperson for Basel’s public transport company explained that cooling limits are designed to avoid thermal shock, which occurs when people move between hot and cold spaces. For this reason the public transport company cools carriages to no more than 5 degrees below the outside air temperature.
The public transport operators in Zurich and Bern follow a similar protocol. Cooling systems are set to adjust inside temperatures in line with outdoor air temperatures. In addition, cooling systems are designed to reduce air humidity to make higher air temperatures more bearable – reducing humidity reduces the thermal conductivity of air cutting heat transfer.
Swiss Rail follows a similar principle and avoids heavy air conditioning. The inside temperature range used by the federal rail operator is between 3 and 7 degrees below the outside temperature on hot days.
More on this:
SRF article (in German)
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Nicole says
This is ridiculous thinking. Show me the evidence! Take a tram in Zurich, it’s unbearable…when someone faints from heat exhaustion perhaps they will change their strategy…
Louise Shah says
I travelled from Zurich to Bern when outside temperatures were around 30c.. it was so warm on the train that I felt I would pass out. There was no ventilation whatsoever.. Even the entrance area provided no relief. This was the most uncomfortable rail journey I have ever experienced..