Swiss forced to change trains more often due to German delays

Train travel from Germany to Switzerland is becoming more uncomfortable for many passengers as delays for trains arriving from Germany have worsened, the Swiss railway operator SBB said on Monday, reported dpa.

The SBB is using replacement trains in Basel even more often than already decided a year ago because of the increasing number of delays by the German rail operator Deutsche Bahn (DB). For many customers, this means they have to change trains in Basel.

DB expressed its "regret for the operational situation in cross-border traffic between Switzerland and Germany" on Monday.

For a long time, according to the SBB, there were 11 trains that continued from Germany via Basel to Switzerland, including Zurich, Chur or Interlaken. In addition, one train travels from Germany via Basel through Switzerland to Italy.

Now, according to the SBB website, there are five per day, including the train to Italy. On the other connections, passengers now have to change trains in Basel.

According to SBB and DB, the reason is additional delays due to an accident in Frankfurt, where an articulated lorry damaged a railway bridge. One line was therefore closed and trains had to be diverted. On August 1, DB announced that the repairs in Frankfurt are expected to take two months.

Passengers travelling from Germany to Switzerland are particularly affected. In the opposite direction, all but one train will continue to run without interruption. This works because DB trains that stop in Basel are used on a later connection and can then pass through on the way back.

There have been more changes in Basel since last year in any case. The reason for this was the frequent delays of DB trains.

In order to offer punctual connections in Switzerland - the trains also carry Swiss customers who want to get from Basel to Zurich, for example - the SBB therefore stopped and replaced Intercity Express trains (ICEs) that arrived 15 minutes or more late. The ICEs then remained in Basel and were already used as substitutes if a later DB train was also more delayed.