You can find information about the occupancy rate in 1st and 2nd class in the connection overview. In the train formation view, you can find further details about the occupancy rate in individual coaches.

The occupancy estimates are based on two different occupancy forecasts: the class-specific and coach-specific occupancy forecast (see “What is an occupancy forecast?”). 

Both occupancy predictions are represented by three stick people. These show how high the occupancy rate is. The following scale is used to do so: 

• 1 stick person: low to medium occupancy expected.  
• 2 stick people: high occupancy expected.  
• 3 stick people: very high occupancy expected. The stick people are then coloured red.  

Occupancy forecasts exist to inform our passengers about the occupancy rate of each train. We offer two main types of occupancy forecasts: class-specific and coach-specific occupancy forecasts.

Class-specific.

The class-specific occupancy forecast shows how busy individual trains in 1st and 2nd class are statistically likely to be. The data are based on the previous year and are supplemented by regular customer surveys and current (group) reservations. 

Coach-specific.

The coach-specific occupancy forecast shows how busy individual coaches are. The data are continuously compared with recently measured passenger frequencies. Additional factors such as holidays and public holidays at the origin and destination and the weather are taken into account. 

It is possible that the forecast for the whole train is inconsistent with the coach-specific forecast at a given time. This is because of different forecast methods. We are working on harmonising these two forecasts to make them more consistent in the future.

Information on the order of coaches (also known as “formation data”) can be found for your chosen connection by swiping in the SBB Mobile app or selecting train information in the timetable on SBB.ch. 

The train information gives the sectors where coaches will stop, the order of coaches, the individual types of coaches (family coach, restaurant, bicycle storage space and wheelchair spaces), classes of coach (1st and 2nd class) and the direction of travel. 

In the SBB Mobile app:

In the timetable on SBB.ch:

Follow our tips on travel planning for a relaxing journey.

A complete overview of the current service situation is available on the “Operations and disruptions” page.

If you would like to be informed about changes to your journey, such as platform changes, delays or cancellations, you can subscribe to notifications about the connection via the SBB Mobile app. Swipe your preferred connection to the right. 

Alternatively, select your preferred connection, go to the detailed view and click on 'Add to My Trips'.

The connections you have subscribed to will be shown in the ‘Trips and Tickets’ section. By subscribing to a journey, you will be kept informed about developments on that route in real time via push notifications. For this to work, please ensure that you have turned on notifications in the app under ‘Settings’ -> ‘Notifications’. You can turn on notifications for information relating to disruption (platform changes, cancellations, delays) and also for information relating to changing vehicles.

If you no longer wish to receive information about the journeys you have subscribed to, you can turn off notifications for them at any time. To do so, please return to the ‘Trips and Tickets’ section and delete the relevant connection. You will then receive no further notifications for that connection.

• Delays.
• Delays affecting critical changes of train.
• Delays of unspecified duration.
• Cancellations.
• Alternative connections.
• Platform alterations.
• Unscheduled station stops.
• Unscheduled omissions of station stops.

The following are inputted manually:

• Disruptions.
• Information.
• Delays.
• Rail replacement services.
• Engineering work.
• Any other notices.

• Under 3 minutes: no indication(?)Show note indicationException: If an alternative journey is shown, delays of one minute or more will be shown. Close note.
  
• From 3 to 20 minutes: in minute intervals.
• From 21 to 90 minutes: rounded down to the nearest 5 minutes.
• From 91 minutes: the newly calculated departure time will be shown.

Delays of unspecified duration: the exact extent of the delay cannot be estimated currently. A more reliable forecast will be added as soon it is possible.

The online channels retrieve their data via a different path to the departure boards at stations. The data processing and transfer time means that data appear on online channels with a delay of 1-2 minutes.

On Swiss railways, “unspecified delay” means that no prediction can be made as to when a service will continue its journey or stop at or depart from a later station.  

Possible reasons for an “unspecified delay”:

• A train has a technical problem at the station or on the route which cannot be resolved within a fixed time frame.
• A problem with the infrastructure cannot be resolved within a fixed time frame, causing suspension of service on the line (e.g. broken rail, damage to the catenary).
• Natural disasters (e.g. landslide) causing suspension of service on the line. 
• There is a medical emergency.

We offer confirmations of delays, for the following transport companies:

• SBB
• Zentralbahn
• SOB
• Thurbo
• BLS
• TPF
• Region Alps

You can request a confirmation of delay online.

For all other transport companies, please contact the customer service of the individual transport company.

The timetable is updated promptly and in advance with planned changes to travel times due to engineering works. If you receive a message that says the timetable has been updated due to engineering works, you can assume that the relevant changes are visible in the timetable and the connections affected have been updated. Aside from engineering works, disruptions can also lead to unplanned changes at short notice. We therefore recommend that you always check your connection before departure in the online timetable or the SBB Mobile app.

The reasons may be the following:

• The train is cancelled, e.g. because of engineering works.
• Timetable data for international passenger services is not up to date because the timetable data abroad is often not updated as frequently as data from Switzerland.

The calculations behind it are highly complex. The following rules influence the search results:

• Priority 1: the fastest connection.
• Priority 2: the most convenient connection (fewest changes).
• Priority 3: the connection with the best train categories (e.g. an IC has priority over an S-Bahn).

The search results generated by this base calculation can also be influenced by:

• personalised searches, such as “carriage of bicycles”, “via field”, “barrier-free travel” etc., which can be set in the advanced search.
• popular alternative routes: for example, for the Bern – Brig route, both possible routes (1x via Lötschberg tunnel and 1x via the mountain route) are shown in the timetable.

All timetable queries take real time data into account. That means that alternative routes can also be offered.

Since stations and stops differ in size, passengers need different lengths of time to get from A to B.

The timetable therefore includes different interchange times required for changing mode of transport at each stop. The standard time is 2 minutes. However, for larger stations this interchange time is increased, for example to 7 minutes for Zürich HB. 

The interchange time can be amended by the individual passenger on SBB.ch. In the advanced search, this can be extended to a given time interval (10 min, 20 min or 30 min). Under “via” you can even set an personalised interchange time.

We regularly update our timetable data so that SBB Mobile and SBB.ch always get you the best services. This takes account of timetable adjustments for building works as well as extra services put on for special events.

We are also constantly expanding the scope of the real-time information that we have stored to inform you quickly and reliably in the event of disruptions or platform or formation changes, for example.  

The target data reflects the planned status of the timetable – how the timetable should look, in other words. The actual data, however, shows the current service status at any given time: i.e. the actual rail traffic situation – including any disruptions. Both types of data are combined to calculate the best service for you.

The stops, addresses and sights recommended depend on the following criteria:

1. Number of elements in the information entered corresponding to the stop name. Example: Entry “mün mät” for “Münchenbuchsee, Mätteli”.
2. Corresponding character length. 
   Example: Entry “Langen Kantonalbank” for “Langenthal, Tell/Kantonalbank”. “Langnau am Albis, Zürcher Kantonalbank” is weighted less because the text is longer.
3. Weighting of traffic volume.
   If a stop is served by a higher number of journeys, this is listed first.
   Example: When entering “Zürich”, “Zürich HB” comes up before “Zürich Flughafen” or “Zürich Altstetten”.
4. Sequence of locations (only in the SBB Mobile app).
   If stops have already been searched once before on the same smartphone, they are listed first in a separate table list as fast choices.

Interchange at the same stop.

Given in the timetable as interchange with no time or metre distance indications.

Example: From Bern, platform 4 to Bern, platform 8. 

Interchange at the same location, but to a different transport service.

Given in the timetable as “walk”, including time indication, but no distance indication in metres.

Example: From Luzern, platform 5 to Luzern, Bahnhof, stand B.

Note: If the stop carries the adjunct “station”, this refers to a bus or tram stop outside of the railway station. 

Example: The stop “Luzern” = railway station. “Luzern, Bahnhof” = bus/tram stop.

Travel from/to address.

Given in the timetable as “walk” including time indication and distance indication in metres, since geographical coordinates are available.

Transfer on foot + by bus/tram.

Listed in the timetable as walk+bus or walk+tram, including time indication, but without distance indication.

Fahrplanfelder.ch provides a list of all the symbols used in the timetable.

The online timetable (SBB.ch) shows whether your train journey is accessible (“barrier-free”). You can filter for the following barrier-free statuses using the advanced search.

1. Self-boarding/alighting possible.
2. Assistance with boarding and alighting from the train crew.
   
3. Assistance with boarding and alighting with prior registration with the SBB Service Center Handicap. 
   
4. Carriage not possible.
   
5. No information available.

If the whole connection shows the status “independent boarding and alighting possible”, you can travel without assistance. 

To use other connections, you may need help boarding or alighting. In this case, our staff can help you: reserve help via SBB Call Center Handicap. The call centre number is 0800 007 102. 

You can find more information on accessible travel in the brochure “Accessible travel. Public transport passengers with reduced mobility” or directly online.  

A dividing train is a train which divides into two separate train compositions en route. These units serve different destination stations. In short: a train with two destinations. You can identify dividing trains by the symbol of a branching arrow provided in the train information in the SBB Mobile app and on SBB.ch.

When you use the advanced search on SBB.ch and in SBB Mobile you have the option of choosing trains of a given category. This way you can influence the choice of connections shown. To open the advanced search in the SBB Mobile app, tap the symbol with the three circles on the three lines on the right-hand side when searching the timetable. On SBB.ch, simply click on ‘Advanced search’ to the right of ‘Search for connection’, once you have entered your departure and destination locations. Generally, when making a general search for connections (without applying filters) the most convenient and fastest connection is selected.

Your preferred connection may not be shown for various reasons:

• The interchange time falls short of the required interchange time (or that set in the advanced search).
• A faster, more convenient connection is available.
• You have restricted your selection via the advanced search.

You may be able to find your preferred connection by selecting “consider alternative stops at departure point/destination” on SBB.ch. Reason: Construction works can mean that stops are temporarily moved.  

You can exclude tilting trains via the advanced search on SBB.ch. To do this, you must choose “no tilting trains”. This connection filter is not available in the SBB Mobile app.

When searching for connections on SBB.ch, you can choose “group travel (Switzerland only)”. This lets you filter for connections which can carry groups as a matter of course. 

There are some transport services (e.g. some small buses) which are not able to transport groups. They are then not shown in the selection.

You can request the integration of the timetable quickly and easily.

You can find pocket timetables, departure boards and network maps, as well as personal pocket timetables for any route, on the “PDF timetables” page.

All timetables in the official timetable of Switzerland are available at fahrplanfelder.ch/en.

Due to the sharp downturn in demand in recent years following the newly offered digital format for timetables, the official timetable is no longer printed. However, you can still find it in PDF form at fahrplanfelder.ch/en.

The official timetable is available in print at larger SBB stations and on private railways (while stocks last). The Swiss Association for Transport and Environment still provide the official timetable in printed form too (subject to a charge).