Obtain information on the accessibility of public transport connections and the equipment available on individual vehicles in the online timetable on SBB.ch or through the Contact Center Handicap by dialling 0800 007 102 (toll-free from within Switzerland). You can reach the Contact Center Handicap from abroad by dialling +41 800 007 102.

Go to Contact Center Handicap services

You can request assistance with boarding and alighting any non-accessible public transport connection. You can see whether the connection you’ve selected is accessible in the online timetable on SBB.ch. Reserve the assistance you need here: 

• in the Assisted Mobility Notification and Information System (AMO) on swisspass.ch/handicap.
• with the Contact Center Handicap by dialling the toll-free number 0800 007 102 (+41 800 007 102 from abroad).

• At least one hour before boarding and alighting. You can find exceptions on the synoptic map for people with restricted mobility.
• Two hours before departure at stations and stops that are not barrier-free and are therefore served by a shuttle service. We recommend you book as early as possible.
• 24 hours for international journeys.
• 12 hours for registration via order form.
• Until 11pm for nighttime network and early morning connections (before 6am).

Please refer to the online timetable for information on construction. Rail replacement buses usually have a low-floor entrance. If a special solution is required for travellers in wheelchairs, this will also be indicated in the timetable. If you have any questions, please contact the Contact Center Handicap at least two hours in advance.

Certain construction sites contain obstacles that a blind or visually impaired person cannot navigate alone. In these case, assistance can be organised with the Contact Center Handicap.

If the toilet for passengers with disabilities is only available in 1st class, one person with a Companion Travelcard can take two companions with them in 1st class. This is the case on the IC2000, IC2020, ICN and ETR 610.

The prerequisite is that the accompanying persons are in possession of a valid ticket (2nd class is sufficient).

This also applies to families with a Junior Travelcard/Children’s Co-Travelcard, provided that the person with the disability or the companion is registered on the Junior Travelcard/Children’s Co-Travelcard and at least one ticket is purchased. It also applies to families with up to four children with Day Passes for Children.

Also for registered groups. 

The Contact Center Handicap is available to help in the case of lift issues. They will offer you an alternative travel option.

No, the Contact Center Handicap does not sell tickets. Tickets can be purchased:

• from the SBB Contact Center on 0848 44 66 88 (CHF 0.08/min.) (Tickets for Switzerland, international travel, reservations for seats and wheelchair spaces).
• online at SBB.ch (tickets for Switzerland and tickets for Europe).
• on the SBB Mobile app (tickets for Switzerland only, seat reservations).
• at SBB ticket counters (entire range).
• at SBB ticket machines (tickets for Switzerland).

Please note the temporarily longer advance sales periods for journeys with wheelchairs and companions for journeys from Switzerland to Germany as well as from Switzerland via Germany to Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Denmark and the Czech Republic.

If you provide the Contact Center Handicap with your e-mail address, you will receive a travel confirmation with the itinerary and further information about your journey. You will also find out which staff will assist you with boarding and alighting 

If you have provided a mobile phone number, you will receive a text message 30 minutes before your reserved boarding/alighting assistance with information on which group of people (transport crew, passenger attendants, SOS Bahnhofhilfe assistants, customer assistants or shuttle drivers) will be assisting you.

As the reservation of a wheelchair space is mandatory on international trains, you can only buy tickets for travelling abroad at staffed counters or at least 24 hours before train departure from the SBB Contact Center on 0848 44 66 88 (CHF 0.08/min.).

Please note the temporarily longer advance sales periods for journeys with wheelchairs and companions for journeys from Switzerland to Germany as well as from Switzerland via Germany to Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Denmark and the Czech Republic.

If you do not require a wheelchair but only need a ticket and a seat, you can also purchase and/or book your tickets for travelling abroad online at SBB.ch.

Unfortunately, you cannot reserve wheelchair spaces on trains in Switzerland.

Assistance staff do not transport luggage. If you are able to carry your own luggage, the Contact Center Handicap can make sure that you will be provided with assistance in boarding and alighting.

However, if you are travelling with a lot of luggage, it is best to drop it off. You will usually receive it the day after next. You will find all the information you need in the links below. Alternatively, you can contact the SBB Contact Center on 0848 44 66 88 (CHF 0.08/min.).

You have the following options:

• Use the luggage registration service from station to station. 
• You can have your luggage transported from door to door, i.e. from any starting address to any destination address.
• You can have it sent from station to door.
• You can have it sent from door station.

Luggage registration from station to station
Luggage registration from door to door
Luggage registration from station to door
Luggage registration from door to station

Yes, you can call on our help even if you only have temporary difficulties with travelling. However, this is only for boarding and alighting. If you require accompaniment during the train journey, please contact COMPAGNA. This service is subject to payment.

Compagna Reisebegleitung
Eschenstrasse 1
9000 St. Gallen
Tel. +41 71 220 1607
info@compagna-reisebegleitung.chLink opens in new window.
compagna-reisebegleitung.chLink opens in new window.

Like wheelchair users, people who use walking frames can book personal assistance. However, for safety reasons you are not permitted to access the Mobilift using the walking frame. You must therefore be capable of overcoming obstacles such as individual steps, ledges and gaps without the help of the service staff.

Important: when travelling with a walker-rollator, it is necessary to plan accordingly as regards sufficient interchange time at the transfer station. We cannot guarantee that you will be able to catch the regular connecting train for every connection. Please consider this aspect when preparing your journey.

• Width overall 70 cm, length 125 cm, height 137 cm
• The Mobilifts are designed to carry a load of 320kg

As a rule, no assistance can be provided for boarding and alighting with wheelchairs that are larger and/or heavier than normal. The list of permitted drivable aids is given on the page ‘Travel planning’.

If you use an aid that exceeds the stated maximum weight, assistance with boarding and alighting is not usually possible. Electric vehicles that might block access to the passenger coach because of their size are not allowed on board trains. 

No. Use of Segways, quad bikes and vehicles with a combustion engine is prohibited both at railway stations and on trains. You can find information about transporting assistance equipment on trains under ‘Travel planning’. 

Yes. If you are using a special bicycle, such as a handbike, tandem, recumbent bike or tricycle, and you have a Disabled Passenger’s ID Card, you have to buy a bike ticket. However, bicycles with an overall length of more than two metres cannot be transported on long-distance trains.

In order to reserve assistance on the Glacier Express, Contact Center Handicap will need to know your date of travel, the train’s departure and arrival times and the number of your reserved seat.

Your ticket and seat reservation for the Glacier Express can be obtained:

• by telephone from the SBB Contact Center on 0848 44 66 88 (CHF 0.08/min.)
• directly from the reservation office on +41 81 288 65 65
• by e-mail to: info@glacierexpress.chLink opens in new window.

With this information, all you need to do is call 0800 007 102 24 hours before the train departs to reserve boarding and alighting assistance.

To reserve assistance on the Bernina Express, SBB Contact Center Handicap will need to know your date of travel, the train’s departure and arrival times and the number of your reserved seat.

Your ticket and seat reservation for the Bernina Express can be obtained:

• directly from the Rhaetian Railway on +41 81 288 65 65 or 
  
• by e-mail to: railservice@rhb.chLink opens in new window..

With this information, all you need to do is call 0800 007 102 24 hours before the train departs to reserve boarding and alighting assistance. 

• The Contact Center Handicap is available for feedback. 
• Please use the following form for claims.

Yes. There is temporarily a longer advance sales period for journeys with wheelchairs and companions for journeys from Switzerland to Germany as well as from Switzerland via Germany to Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Denmark and the Czech Republic.

The Disability Discrimination Act(DDA) stipulates that public transport must be accessible and, as such, generally available for autonomous use by passengers with disabilities by the beginning of 2024.

As autonomous boarding and alighting must be possible for every connection, folding ramp and Mobilift assistance will be made available during off-peak times and at additional stations and stops from 2024. If a stop or boarding area does not have step-free access or if staff assistance is not available, passengers are offered a shuttle service (transport in accessible vehicles on the road) as a temporary measure. You can reserve the shuttle service by calling the Contact Center Handicap.

The DDA (Disability Discrimination Act) only applies within Switzerland and therefore only as far as the Swiss border. 

The respective laws and regulations apply in foreign railway stations. 

To ensure you can receive assistance when travelling abroad, please book your assistance with the Contact Center Handicap at least 24 hours in advance. For this, we require the seat and coach number of your reservation.

A shuttle service to the next accessible stop is offered from stations and stops that will not be adapted until after 2023, where a structural adaptation appears excessive or where staff assistance is not possible. The shuttle service is a temporary solution and will not be used permanently.

Please contact the Contact Center Handicap at least two hours before you will require assistance. 

• The Contact Center Handicap informs you of the route the shuttle service will take and organises the transport. 
• The shuttle service brings you to the next accessible stop. The shuttle journey is included in the ticket price.

No. The Contact Center Handicap cannot offer shuttles as a substitute measure for non-accessible connections abroad. The DDA (Disability Discrimination Act) only applies within Switzerland and therefore only as far as the Swiss border.

In addition, most Swiss taxi companies do not have a licence to transport passengers abroad.

We recommend that you make your request with the Contact Center Handicap as early as possible. However, the absolute minimum prior warning is two hours before departure. 

As a rule: the shuttle takes you to the next accessible stop where staff assistance is guaranteed. If it makes sense, the shuttle will take you to the next transfer station. 

No, the shuttle service can only take you to the nearest accessible public transport stop. The requirements of the temporary shuttle service measure were laid out by the Federal Office of Transport (FOT). 

• A shuttle service is available for wheelchair users and people with walking disabilities. 
• Blind and visually impaired people are generally able to navigate stairs and steps and thus do not require a shuttle service.

Yes, the Companion Travelcard is also valid for the shuttle.

Yes, if you have a Companion Travelcard, you can take a companion with you on the shuttle. 

Yes, assistance dogs are allowed on the shuttles.

No, assistance must be reserved with the Contact Center Handicap. If you order a shuttle on your own, you will have to pay for the transport yourself.

The waiting time is up to 30 minutes. 

If the shuttle is late, please call the Contact Center Handicap. The Contact Center will get in touch with the transport crew and inform you of the next steps.

A maximum of two wheelchairs and one accompanying person can be transported. Make sure to mention the number of passengers when registering.

For group travel with more than two wheelchair users, we recommend that you plan and book your journey well in advance.

Yes, the drivers will help you transfer from the train or bus to the shuttle and vice versa. You can obtain information about this from the Contact Center Handicap. At some stations, the shuttle staff can offer boarding and alighting assistance with a folding ramp directly at the station. 

SBB has concluded contracts with various local providers of transport for passengers with disabilities.

All providers were checked for quality and flexibility. 

You can find all the information on how to find accessible connections in the SBB online timetable on the ‘Travel planning for accessible travel’ page.

The online timetable provides information about the accessibility of every connection.

Information about low-floor trains cannot be guaranteed to be correct. If there is a breakdown, a replacement vehicle will have to be used which might not have a low floor. The online timetable is updated in real time. However, changes to rolling stock are always possible at short notice.

No accessibility data is available in the online timetable on SBB.ch for journeys that are more than 20 days in the future. Technical issues may also occur that make obtaining information temporarily impossible. 

Yes, the information is updated in real time. However, very short-notice changes can occur. Discrepancies are possible in the case of system issues and disruptions.

The data is provided by the individual transport companies and infrastructure operators.

If a wheelchair user will be travelling with you on a group trip, please let us know when you book the group trip. If possible, we will place your group in or near the passenger coach with a wheelchair compartment. At the same time, please inform the Contact Center Handicap of any assistance which may be required during boarding and alighting.

If several people are travelling in wheelchairs, a maximum of 10 people in wheelchairs can travel together on double-deck trains (IC2000/IC2020). On board all other trains, groups may only be able to travel in different compartments or split between several trains, depending on the size of the group. You can obtain further information from the SBB Contact Center on 0848 44 66 88 (CHF 0 08/min.).

You can detailed information on assistance and the Contact Center Handicap under ‘Assistance in Switzerland’ and ‘Assistance for journeys abroad’ on the ‘Travel planning for accessible travel’ page.

Got to assistance for journeys in Switzerland
Go to assistance for journeys abroad

If you would like assistance for boarding with a wheelchair: the meeting point is by the Mobilift (yellow lifting platform) or the folding ramp that generally is located in the middle of the platform. We will be there waiting for your 10 minutes before your scheduled assistance. 

You can find all the information on meeting points for other forms of assistance for boarding and alighting on the ‘Accessible travel’ page.

• Width 70cm.
• Length 125cm.
• Height 137cm.
• Weight 320kg (maximum load for the Mobilift).

As a rule, no assistance can be provided with boarding and alighting with wheelchairs that are larger and/or heavier than these limits.

Depending on the transfer distance and the assistance equipment involved, the minimum transfer times may not always be sufficient to ensure that you make your connecting train. Ensure sufficient time for changing trains. Please note that the Contact Center Handicap will only accept orders and schedule them if there is sufficient time to change trains.

Yes. If you have registered with the Contact Center Handicap, the transport crew will receive a message about passengers travelling with disabilities. 

No. Private individuals are not allowed to use the Mobilift or the folding ramp themselves. SBB cannot accept any liability in the event of damage or accidents. However, at all stations that are not support stations, private individuals are allowed to help with boarding and alighting.

Yes. On InterCity tilting trains (ICNs) and on double-deck trains (IC 2000 / IC 2020) and on ETR 610, the wheelchair compartment and a toilet accessible for wheelchair users are located in 1st class. If you are travelling as an accompanying person and your girlfriend has a Companion Card (Disabled Passenger’s ID Card), then you are also allowed to travel in 1st class.

On the ‘Travel discounts for passengers with a disability’ page, you can find all the travel discounts, such as the discounted GA Travelcard and the Companion Travelcard, as well as discounts for parking in P+Rail car parks.

You can find detailed information on discounts for journeys from Switzerland to another country under ‘International travel’ on the ‘Travel discounts for passengers with a disability’ page.

Full information on the Companion Travelcard on the SwissPass is available on the new page.

The  Companion Travelcard gives travellers with disabilities (wheelchair users, people with mobility problems, blind people, people with visual impairments and people with intellectual disabilities) the opportunity to take a companion and/or a guide dog/assistance dog with them at no extra cost.

No, with foreign ID documents there is no discount when purchasing tickets in Switzerland for travellers with disabilities. Please make enquiries in your country of residence about discounts and purchase your tickets for your journey in Switzerland there. 

No. A disabled person's ID card issued abroad will not entitle you to any discounts in Switzerland. Please make enquiries in your country of residence about discounts.

No. The passenger travelling free of charge with the Companion Travelcard does not have to pay the night supplement.

Yes, the Companion Travelcard is integrated onto the SwissPass. 

In general, the following rule applies: At least one person must be in possession of a valid ticket for travel (ticket, Day Pass, GA Travelcard, point-to-point Travelcard, modular Travelcard, but not Half Fare Travelcard without a ticket or Junior Travelcard without a ticket).

Example A.

Companion Travelcard and Half Fare Travelcard = one half-price ticket is sufficient.

A person with a disability holding a Companion Travelcards travelling with another person holding a Half Fare Travelcard. The passenger with the disability travels free of charge and their travelling companion with the Half Fare Card buys a half-price ticket.

Example B.

Companion Travelcard and GA Travelcard = the GA Travelcard is sufficient.

A person with a disability holding a Companion Travelcard is travelling with another person holding a GA Travelcard. The passenger with the disability travels free of charge and their travelling companion travels using the GA Travelcard.

Example C.

Companion Travelcard, Half Fare Travelcard and Junior Travelcard = one half-price ticket is sufficient.

One parent holds a Half Fare Travelcard. He is travelling with two children. One child has a Junior Travelcard. The other child uses a wheelchair and holds a Companion Travelcard. The parent with the Half Fare Travelcard buys a half-price ticket, the child in the wheelchair travels free of charge with the Companion Travelcard, the other child travels free of charge with the Junior Travelcard. The Junior Travelcard is only valid with a valid ticket (in this example, the ticket of the parent with the Half Fare Travelcard).

Example D.

Two Companion Travelcards and one Half Fare Travelcard = one person with a Companion Travelcard needs a valid ticket or travelcard. 

Two people with a disability and a Companion Travelcard each are travelling together with one person who has a Half Fare Travelcard. One person with a disability travels for free and the companion with a Half Fare Travelcard purchases a ticket at half price. The second person with a disability needs an additional valid ticket or travelcard.

Notice for children up until their 6th birthday: children under 6 years old cannot obtain a Companion Travelcard. This is because they always travel for free anyway. However, those accompanying them must have a valid ticket or travelcard.

Information can be found on the page ‘Travel discounts’

The validity of the Companion Travelcard is limited to 10 years. We will remind you about the end of the validity of your Companion Travelcard in good time before it expires. This will give you sufficient time to submit the ‘Application for a Companion Travelcard with medical confirmation’, including confirmation from a doctor.

Yes. The GA Travelcard for Disabled Persons is only available on the SwissPass (as a red card and on your smartphone).

More information about the GA Travelcard for Disabled Persons on the SwissPass can be found on the page GA Travelcard for Disabled Persons.

You can find information about purchasing under “Help for GA Travelcard” 

You can decide whether you would like to pay for your GA Travelcard annually or monthly. You can find the prices on the offer page.

No. Since 1 January 2024, the identity card for passengers who are blind or have a visual impairment has not been valid.

Information about the mobility aid bike pass can be found on the ‘Travel discounts’ page.

The mobility aid bike pass is valid wherever there is a ‘yes’ in the ‘T600 bike self-service’ column under section 0.1 ‘Transport companies rail/bus/boat, local transport and transport associations’ in the PDF. This means that you can load and unload your bicycle yourself.

The conditions of the relevant transport company apply on all other routes.

A person with a mobility aid is not necessarily the holder of a Companion Travelcard. In other words, people who rely on a mobility aid are able to travel on their own, depending on their personal situation, and therefore do not have a Companion Travelcard.

Yes. If you are blind or visually impaired, call 0800 11 44 77 to access the SBB ticket machine helpline. Give the person on the telephone the ticket machine number, which is located above the screen in tactile lettering. The SBB ticket machine helpline will help you choose the right ticket and if requested, it will select the required product on the ticket machine for you through remote control. You can then pay for the ticket directly at the ticket machine, where it will also be printed as usual. The SBB ticket machine helpline is open every day, 24 hours a day.

Thanks to SBB Assist, you can request enhanced assistance tailored to your needs at SBB stations. The services are offered free of charge.

Possible examples.

• You need help changing trains.
• You need help getting up a ramp.
• You need help finding your way around the station.

Restrictions.

Important: SBB Assist

• is only offered at SBB railway stations.
• is only available if there are enough staff at the relevant station.
• does not constitute a legal obligation. Priority is always given to assistance with boarding and alighting.

List of SBB stations where SBB Assist can be requested (PDF, 227 KB)accessibility.barrierfree (PDF, 227 KB)

You must book SBB Assist via the Contact Center Handicap. The Contact Center Handicap will then check whether there are enough staff at the station to provide enhanced personal assistance. SBB Assist can therefore also be refused. The first priority is always to provide the assistance that is required by law.

Call the Contact Center Handicap at least one hour before you require enhanced personal assistance. In exceptional cases, the notification period is two hours. You can find exceptions on the synoptic map for people with restricted mobility. 

You can contact the Contact Center Handicap as follows:

• from Switzerland free of charge on 0800 007 102.
• from abroad by calling +41 800 007 102.

You can also book SBB Assist via the contact form for the Contact Center Handicap.

SBB Assist is free of charge.

No.

We can only offer assistance through SBB Assist if sufficient staff are available.

You must therefore book SBB Assist with the Contact Center Handicap, so that they can check staff availability at the station in question.

If it is not possible for you to be provided with enhanced personal assistance, you will receive alternative suggestions. If no alternative can be found and no staff are available, we reserve the right to refuse enhanced assistance.

No.

• No assistance at the stations of other transport companies.
• No luggage transport.
• No assistance services such as feeding / use of toilets.
• No support while staying at the station.
• No accompanying of persons on the train.
• No tourist advice.
• No assistance for passengers with prams/pushchairs.
• No assistance for pregnant women.

All passengers who have difficulty overcoming any kind of obstacle at an SBB station. Obstacles can be physical or psychological.

In the pilot project, passengers’ concerns are accepted as a first step, regardless of the type of impairment. With SBB Assist, passengers’ requests are accepted as a first step, regardless of the type of impairment. 

Possible users of SBB Assist are:

• passengers who have a manual wheelchair and need help getting up or down a ramp.
• passengers in wheelchairs who have special needs (e.g. when pressing the ‘open’ buttons), or if the wheels are too small, or if boarding with their own wheelchair is only possible to a limited extent.
• People with visual impairments.
• People with impaired mobility who travel with a rollator, crutches, walking sticks or other walking aids.
• Passengers with invisible disabilities (e.g. people who have difficulties finding their way around due to dementia or a stroke. People with autism).
• Passengers who have a hearing impairment.
• Passengers with cognitive impairments (e.g. people with Down’s syndrome).
• passengers with mental health conditions (e.g. people with anxiety disorders).

No.

Yes. You can book SBB Assist for changing trains at SBB stations.

Yes. You can reserve SBB Assist for finding your way around at SBB stations.

Yes. You can book SBB Assist to help you find your way around SBB stations.

Yes. You can book SBB Assist to help you get up ramps and change trains at SBB stations.

You can request assistance with boarding and alighting. This is a legally required service from the Contact Center Handicap.

You can also request SBB Assist for SBB railway stations. Please also notify the Contact Center Handicap about this enhanced assistance. If there are enough staff, you will receive help 

• with finding your way around.
• with making your way through the station.
• when changing trains.

Yes. You can use SBB Assist to order support to get you to the bus stop.

You can find out whether a ramp is too steep on the web map for people with reduced mobility. Enter the railway station in the search field. If a green dot with a tick appears at the station, there is a problem. Click on the green dot to see in the legend whether the ramp is too steep or if there is another issue. (Example: Thörishaus Station).

No.

You can only book SBB Assist via the Contact Center Handicap or via the contact form.

SBB Assist is an additional service which can only be offered if enough staff are available at the SBB station in question.

If we receive orders at the same time for legally required assistance (help with boarding and alighting on trains as per the information in the timetable), we will unfortunately be unable to offer enhanced personal assistance.

You can find all the information on how to find accessible connections in the SBB Mobile app on the ‘Travel planning for accessible travel’ page.

SBB Inclusive is a customer information app that makes travelling on public transport easier, particularly for visually impaired and blind people. The app provides visual and digital customer information for stations and long-distance trains directly in your smartphone and always shows you the information relevant to your location.

SBB is continuously optimising many of its services on websites, apps and in PDF documents to make them fully accessible, ensuring that we make good use of assistive technology. For instance, blind and visually impaired customers can read PDF documents on sbb.ch/handicap using a screen reader.

In March 2019, the ‘Access for All’ foundation certified the accessibility of SBB.ch. An independent team of accessibility specialists tested whether the website was accessible and whether the standards for certification were met.