Frequently asked questions about accessible travel for people with reduced mobility.
What does the SBB Call Center Handicap do?
The SBB Call Center Handicap
is the competence centre for travellers with reduced mobility using public transport and is available from 6am to 10.30pm every day.
organises assistance for travellers with reduced mobility to board and alight from trains at support stations (stations with support facilities).
provides information about access to the individual stations and trains.
provides information about travel for people with disabilities using public transport.
organises standing orders for assistance services.
What is a support station?
A support station is a station with support facilities. It is equipped with a Mobilift (hydraulic lift system). Assistance is available when boarding and alighting at these stations. A list of support stations is published in the Handicap synoptic map and in the leaflet ‘Barrierefrei unterwegs’ (Accessible travel)
Assistance is provided for accompanied long-distance trains and for some regional trains.
How much advance notice is required for organising assistance with boarding and alighting?
Can I buy my tickets from the SBB Call Center Handicap?
No, the SBB Call Center Handicap does not sell any 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, seat reservations).
on the SBB Mobile app (tickets for Switzerland only).
at SBB ticket counters (entire range).
at SBB ticket machines (tickets for Switzerland).
I have booked assistance. Can I receive confirmation?
Verbal confirmation is sufficient as definitive confirmation of your request. If you would like to receive confirmation by e-mail, please tell the SBB Call Center Handicap directly when placing your order for assistance.
Can I buy international tickets for travellers with disabilities (TCV 710 fare) or make a reservation for a wheelchair space online?
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 48 hours before train departure from the SBB Contact Center on 0848 44 66 88 (CHF 0.08/min.).
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.
Where can I reserve wheelchair spaces in Switzerland?
Unfortunately, you cannot reserve wheelchair spaces on trains in Switzerland.
How do I proceed with my luggage?
Customer assistants will not carry any luggage. If you are able to carry your own luggage, the SBB Call Center Handicap can guarantee 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. Use luggage registration at a staffed railway station for this. Usually, your luggage is ready for collection two days later. More information at sbb.ch/en/luggage or from the SBB Contact Center on 0848 44 66 88 (CHF 0.08/min.).
I've had surgery and I need help to get home from the hospital. My difficulties with travelling are only temporary in nature. Can I call on the help of the SBB Call Center Handicap?
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.
I'm travelling with a walker-rollator. Can I request assistance from the SBB Call Center Handicap?
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.
What are the maximum dimensions for a wheelchair on the train?
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’
My electric scooter exceeds the permitted maximum weight for assistance with boarding and alighting. Am I allowed to travel nevertheless?
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.
Can I board the train with my Segway?
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’.
I travel with a special bicycle. Do I have to purchase a bike ticket?
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 only have to buy a bike ticket. However, bicycles with an overall length of more than two metres cannot be transported on long-distance trains.
I have a disability and I would like to contact a transport service for people with disabilities or a taxi company with vehicles that can transport wheelchairs. Where can I find the contact details?
A table of travel services for people with disabilities and taxis that carry wheelchairs is available to download from this page.
How do I book assistance on the Glacier Express (MGBahn)?
In order to reserve assistance on the Glacier Express, SBB Call 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 MGBahn reservation office on 0041 (0)848 642 442 or
Once you have this information, simply call the toll-free number 0800 007 102 twenty-four hours before your train leaves to reserve assistance with boarding and alighting.
How do I book assistance on the Bernina Express (RhB)?
To reserve assistance on the Bernina Express, SBB Call 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:
by telephone from the SBB Contact Center on 0848 44 66 88 (CHF 0.08/min.)
directly from the Rhaetian Railway on 0041 (0)81 288 65 65 or
Once you have this information, simply call the toll-free number 0800 007 102 twenty-four hours before your train leaves to reserve assistance with boarding and alighting.
Which trains have low-floor coaches?
The online timetable provides information about the accessibility of every connection.
Accessibility information in the online timetable is incorrectI was on the platform and the train that arrived did not have any low-floor coaches, so I could not get on board Where has this incorrect information come from?
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 three times a day. However, changes to rolling stock are always possible at short notice.
Why is there a ‘question mark’ in the online timetable?
Unfortunately, we do not have access to information from private railway companies or municipal bus companies.
Is the information about accessibility reliable on the online timetable?
Yes, the information is updated three times a day. However, very short-notice changes can occur.
Our travelling group includes a disabled person who uses a wheelchair. Can this person travel in our group?
Yes. When you book your group journey, you should mention that a wheelchair user will be travelling as well. With this information, we can reserve seats in a passenger coach with a wheelchair compartment. At the same time, notify the SBB Call Center Handicap about your journey. Groups that include more than one wheelchair user can only be carried subject to certain conditions. The double-deck trains operated by Long-Distance Services allow groups to travel together (maximum ten people in wheelchairs). On board all other trains, groups may only be able to travel in different compartments or split across several trains, depending on the size of the group.
Who is responsible for providing boarding and alighting assistance at support stations?
The customer assistants are normally responsible for providing boarding and alighting assistance at the support stations. Assistance may also be provided by the train crew. The train crew will not come to you until shortly after the train has arrived at the station.
Are connections always guaranteed when changing trains?
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 SBB Call Center Handicap will only accept orders and schedule them if there is sufficient time to change trains. At sbb.ch/en/call-center-handicap you can see the interconnection times for Zurich main station.
Is the train crew always informed about travellers with disabilities?
Yes. The train crew receives a message from the SBB Call Center Handicap about travellers with disabilities. However, this is only the case if the customer has notified the SBB Call Center Handicap.
Where is the meeting point for assistance with boarding and alighting?
The meeting point for assistance with boarding and alighting is always at the Mobilift on the departure platform, ten minutes before departure. On IC2000 (double-deck) trains, we await travellers in wheelchairs by the first passenger coach behind the locomotive, a 1st class passenger coach, ten minutes before departure. More information about meeting points abroad can be found on the Accessible travel page.
Is my accompanying person allowed to handle the Mobilift or the folding ramp in the IC 2000?
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.
My girlfriend uses a wheelchair and I want to travel with her on the IC 2000 to Zurich. I have a 2nd class GA Travelcard. Am I allowed to travel with her in 1st class?
Yes. On InterCity tilting trains (ICNs) and on double-deck trains (IC 2000), 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.
What documents do I need to apply for an Disabled Passenger’s ID Card?
A medical certificate completed and signed by your doctor.
You must also sign the medical certificate.
One passport photo.
You can find the ‘medical certificate’ via the following link, under ‘Downloads’ on the right-hand side of the page:
What is the identity card for passengers with a disability?
The Disabled Passenger’s ID Card – also known as a Companion Card – 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 with them at no extra cost.
Who is eligible for discounted travel on international services (tariff TCV 710)?
If you have a Disabled Passenger’s ID Card, you can also take a companion or a guide dog with you on international journeys at no extra cost (TCV 710 fare).
In order to take a companion or a guide dog with you abroad for free, you must buy an ‘international no-price ticket’. This ticket is valid for the same journey from a Swiss railway station in the same class as that in which you are travelling.
To purchase tickets for travel abroad, please contact the SBB counter or the SBB Contact Center on 0848 44 66 88 (CHF 0.08/min.)
Some transport companies apply market prices. The Disabled Passenger’s ID Card is not valid on these trains. The prices and discounts are determined directly by the transport companies.
I'm going to be visiting Switzerland as a tourist, and I'm a wheelchair user. I've got identification documents for disabled travel that were not issued in Switzerland. Will I benefit from travel discounts in Switzerland?
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.
Is a foreign identity card for passengers with a disability valid in Switzerland?
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.
Do I also have to pay a night supplement with the Disabled Passenger’s ID Card (Companion Card)?
No. When using the Disabled Passenger’s ID card (Companion Card), the person travelling for free is not required to pay the night supplement.
I want to order a GA travelcard for the disabled. Will I receive the GA travelcard on the SwissPass?
Yes. The GA travelcard for the disabled is only available on the SwissPass (as a red card and on your smartphone).
Where can I find general information about the GA Travelcard for disabled persons on the SwissPass?
More information about the GA Travelcard for disabled persons on the SwissPass can be found on the page GA Travelcard for disabled persons.
Where can I order my GA travelcard for the disabled?
You can order the GA travelcard for the disabled:
With the order form
At staffed points of sale for public transport.
By calling the SBB Contact Center on +41 (0)848 44 66 88 (CHF 0.08/min.).
Please note the required documents:
A current, good-quality, colour passport photoChecklist for assessing photos: Taken from the front; width of face in photo min. 20 mm (max. 35 mm); eyes open – eyes must not be hidden if wearing glasses; plain background with even lighting (no shadow); must be clear with high contrast. Additionally for digital photos: Image size min. 200 × 250 pixels; File size max. 2000 KB (JPG); Adjust colours to RGB mode. If you already own a SwissPass, then you can conveniently upload your digital photo to www.swisspass.ch.. If you already have a SwissPass, you can upload your digital photo easily at swisspass.chLink opens in new window..
Copy of your passport or ID documentWhen purchasing online, you can enter the data for the following documents online: Passport or ID card issued in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, France, Italy or Liechtenstein. When ordering by PDF you need a copy but when buying at the point of sale you need the original document.
Copy of your invalidity insurance ID cardValid “Certificate of entitlement to a GA travelcard for passengers with a disability” under the Federal Invalidity Insurance system or certificate for recipients of a disability pension. People in a wheelchair with a medical certificate. and/or medical certificate.
What is the cost of a GA travelcard for the disabled on the SwissPass?
You can decide whether you would like to pay for your GA travelcard annually or monthly. The GA travelcard for the disabled costs:
Annual payment:
CHF 2,480 for 2nd class
CHF 4,050 for 1st class
Monthly payment:
CHF 225 for 2nd class
CHF 355 for 1st class
How can I find out whether my SwissPass with the GA Travelcard for disabled persons is still valid?
If you have a GA travelcard with an annual bill, we will remind you of the optional cancellation deadline in good time before your travelcard is automatically renewed. You will receive this reminder with your annual invoice.
You can subscribe to receive an e-mail or SMS reminder of this deadline online in your customer account at swisspass.ch.
Call the SBB Contact Center on +41 (0)848 44 66 88 (CHF 0.08/min.) and they will give you all the necessary information.
Is the identity card for passengers with a disability integrated into the SwissPass?
No, the Disabled Passenger’s ID Card is not integrated into the SwissPass. It is still in paper form and is issued exclusively by the cantonal authorities.
Disabled Passenger’s ID Card(Companion Card) in combination with other travel discounts.
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 Card and Half Fare Travelcard on the SwissPass = one half-price ticket is sufficient.
A person with a disability holding a Companion Card is 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 Card and GA Travelcard on the SwissPass = the GA Travelcard is sufficient.
A person with a disability holding a Companion Card 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 Card, Half Fare Travelcard on the SwissPass 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 Card. The parent with the Half Fare Travelcard buys a half-price ticket, the child in the wheelchair travels free of charge with the Companion Card, 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).
Where do I get my identity card and how do I renew it?
The Disabled Passenger’s ID Card can be ordered from the relevant cantonal authority. All you need is your medical certificate and a passport photo. The addresses for the cantonal offices can be found via the following link on the ‘Travel discounts’ page under ‘Downloads’. There is also a template for the medical certificate.
How long is the Disabled Passenger’s ID Card valid for?
The Disabled Passenger’s ID Card (Companion Card) is valid for four years. The current period runs from 2017 to 2020. The card is issued in paper format. Simply renew your card shortly before the end of this period. The process is the same as for ordering a card initially.
Is the SBB.ch website accessible?
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.
I am blind. Can I buy a ticket from a ticket machine?
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.
Further content
Contact.
SBB Call Center Handicap
Reserve free assistance for boarding and alighting when travelling by train.
Please phone us at least one hour before you require the assistance (or send an e-mail at least 12 hours in advance). For travel abroad: at least 48 hours in advance.
