The SBB virtual assistant has been discontinued as of December 2022.
“Hey Google, ask SBB: when is the next train from Bern to Lucerne?” The SBB virtual assistant provided information about the timetable and ticket prices. However, following a market test, the service was discontinued in December 2022 and is no longer available.
Google’s decision to stop supporting the integration of third-party apps on Google Assistant from June 2023 has made continued operation impossible. In addition, usage figures during the market test, which lasted several months, fell short of expectations. When it became clear that the SBB virtual assistant would be discontinued, SBB examined the option of integrating the function into the SBB Inclusive app. However, representatives for potential users attributed a low level of added value to voice-controlled journey planning, which does not justify the high costs of integration.
SBB’s virtual assistant was based on Google Actions and was available on smart speakers, smart displays and mobile phones (with Google Assistant). In addition to information on the timetable and ticket prices, it was also possible to buy tickets directly via the SBB virtual assistant. Find out how the SBB virtual assistant worked in the video.