Ticket machines once replaced many of the people selling ticket from counters. Now the internet and mobile phones threatens ticket machines. As more and more people dash past ticket machines with an electronic train ticket in their pocket, Swiss Rail is looking at phasing out some machines according to various newspapers including 20 Minutes. The […]
After the Genoa bridge collapse, how safe are Swiss flyovers?
On 14 August 2018 a viaduct in Genoa collapsed killing 43 people. Switzerland’s national road network, which covers 1,840 km, contains 4,548 road bridges and viaducts. The highest, the Mentue bridge, is 113 m above the ground, and the longest, the Yverdon viaduct, is 3,155 m long. Both are in the canton of Vaud. Another […]
Swiss commutes get longer and slower
As the summer holidays wrap up, many will be getting back into their regular trip to work. The number of people commuting in Switzerland reached a record 3.9 million in 2016, a whopping 34% more than in 1990. In addition, the average Swiss commuting distance increased. in 2016, it was 14.8 km one way, 1.9 […]
Might Switzerland test a 140 km/h speed limit?
Bern’s young Swiss People’s Party (SVP/UDC) is calling for a new speed limit of 140 km/h to be tested on a stretch of Swiss motorway between Bern and Bienne. The demand for the test, on a stretch of road between Schönbühl and Lyss, was made via a press release. The Schönbühl-Lyss section was chosen because […]
Traffic cost Switzerland nearly 2 billion francs in 2015
Traffic cost the nation 1.9 billion francs in 2015, according to calculations by Switzerland’s Federal Office for Spatial Development (ARE). Most of the cost (69%) was time lost waiting in traffic. The cost of traffic related accidents accounted for a further 24%, and wasted energy (5%) and environmental costs (2%) made up the rest. Between […]
Switzerland bans new Audi cars from its roads
Switzerland’s Federal Roads Office (FEDRO) has banned the registration of generation 7 Audi A6 and A7 diesel cars, which have been affected by emissions manipulation. The A6 and A7 3.0 diesel models, which are required to comply with Euro 6 standards, were found to have been equipped with illegal defeat devices affecting exhaust emissions. FEDRO […]
Switzerland’s young socialists restart the debate on first class train seats
Recently, members of the young socialists raised the debate of the social inequalities associated with two ticket classes again while on trains travelling between Fribourg and Bern. They complain that at periods of peak demand second class carriages are overflowing, while first class ones often have space and spare seats. Yvan Rime, co-president of the […]
Gotthard tunnel queue stretches 14 kilometres
Last Saturday morning, a queue of traffic stretched 14 kilometres from the northern entrance of Switzerland’s Gotthard tunnel, according to RTS. At its peak, waiting time reached 2 hours and 20 minutes. The Gotthard tunnel is the main road link between Zurich and Milan. The obvious alternative is the San Bernardino pass. Normally this route […]
Don’t get caught out by Swiss summer train track closures
Swiss rail is closing parts of its network from 30 June 2018 until 26 August 2018. Engineering work across more than 30 sites means some sections of track will be closed. Work can be done at night, allowing trains to run during the day, however, work is much faster if it is done around the […]
Speed limits reduced in France
From 1 July 2018, speed limits on some French roads are lower. On 9 January 2018, France’s government decided to cut the speed limit from 90 km/h to 80 km/h on some roads. The new speed limit applies to the more than 400,000 kms of two-way roads with no dividing line. Around 11,000 speed signs […]
