• The Federal Act on the Elimination of Discrimination against People with Disabilities (DDA) and the Ordinance on the Adaptation of Public Transport to the Needs of People with Disabilities (PTAO) require that public transport – on both road and rail – is fully accessible. Travellers with disabilities should be able to use public transport services without discrimination and move around as independently as possible. This also benefits travellers with pushchairs, bicycles or luggage.
• To implement the Disability Discrimination Act, extensive changes to infrastructure, rolling stock and passenger information are necessary. SBB invests considerable resources in making its trains and railway stations suitable for people with disabilities and, where necessary, in additional assistance services. 
• In recent years, SBB has raised countless platforms and installed ramps and sometimes lifts at numerous stations. Conversion works are expected to take place at 250 of the 764 railway stations between 2025 and the mid-2030s. 
• The goal has not yet been reached. On the one hand, implementation has proven to be more complex than initially planned due to many interdependencies. On the other hand, more precise requirements for accessible stations have led to SBB having to convert more stations than originally assumed – instead of 150 stations over 400 (out of 764).
• SBB will implement the DDA in full as soon as possible. The financing of as yet incomplete conversion works must be ensured through sufficient financial resources in the service level agreements between SBB and the Confederation. 
• In the digital arena, SBB takes into account the guidelines on digital accessibility. Gaps in passenger information have been recognised and will be rectified as soon as possible. For example, action is still required when disruptions occur for people with a hearing impairment (loudspeaker announcements in writing).
• The old vehicles with high doors, which are still used for regional and long-distance services, are being gradually phased out. The new rolling stock (long-distance double-deck trains, Giruno trains, IR double-deck trains, single-deck regional trains and S-Bahn trains) offers level access, not just in the wheelchair compartment, but along the entire length of the train. Station platforms will also be adapted to allow step-free access to the trains (platforms will be raised to 55cm above the rails where possible).
• The Federal Office of Transport and the relevant municipalities have been informed about the status of implementation. SBB is in dialogue with disability organisations. 

• The standard is that customers with a disability can travel independently.
• If this is not possible, staff can provide assistance as an alternative measure, for example, on trains with high access (with a Mobilift) or on platforms which are too low (with a folding ramp). The pre-registration period for assistance is at least one hour. 
• If this is not possible, staff can provide assistance as an alternative or bridging measure, for example on trains with high access (with a Mobilift) or on platforms that are too low (with a folding ramp). The pre-registration period is one hour. 
• No assistance from staff is possible in places where only stairs lead to the platform. There is a shuttle service in these locations to transport passengers with a disability to the nearest step-free station. This must be requested by telephone at least two hours before travelling. A shuttle service of this kind is provided at around 90 SBB railway stations.
• The SBB Contact Center Handicap supports people with disabilities – it will cover the whole public transport network in Switzerland. It offers advice to customers who are unable to travel independently because of structural defects, coordinates assistance, organises the deployment of customer assistants at stations and provides shuttle services.
• Since January 2025, passengers with disabilities have been able to request assistance at SBB stations, even if it is not required by law. This includes assistance with changing trains, assistance with getting up a ramp or help with navigating the station. The additional service SBB Assist is only available when sufficient staff are on duty and can be reserved via the Contact Center Handicap one hour in advance.
• SBB relies on innovative customer information:
  
  • Smart Information Displays (SID) provide digital and audio customer information at railway stations in real time, while acoustic boxes provide audio information for visually impaired travellers. 
    More information on smart information displays (SID) 
  • The SBB Inclusive app provides visual, audio and digital passenger information about railway stations and trains directly to your smartphone. As a result, the app enables people with visual or hearing impairments to travel more safely and independently. Since 2025, the status of the lifts at SBB stations has been displayed in the app and users can subscribe to this information. This means people with reduced mobility can also find out about the availability of lifts. The SBB Inclusive app was the first app in Switzerland to be certified by the ‘Access for all’ foundation and was awarded the Best of Swiss Apps Award in the ‘Accessibility’ category at the end of 2024. It is constantly being upgraded with new functions.
• In the online timetable, passengers with reduced mobility can find comprehensive information about accessibility at stops and about available alternatives or bridging solutions.
  To the online timetable
• In the Zurich and Geneva regions, SBB has introduced the Sunflower Lanyard (a lanyard with a sunflower design), which is already well established in other countries, for people with invisible disabilities. The lanyards are issued free of charge with no proof of disability required at the info point (Zurich main station, Geneva Cornavin station) and at SBB Travel Centres (Zürich Oerlikon, Zürich Stadelhofen, Zürich Enge, Zürich Altstetten, Winterthur, Bülach, Uster, Wetzikon, Rapperswil, Zug, Genève Eaux-Vives, Nyon, Morges, Lausanne). This distinctive symbol signals to SBB staff that these people may need special assistance or a little more time to find their ticket, for example. Wearing the lanyard is optional. The project is supported by 15 Swiss disability organisations which represent the interests of people with invisible disabilities. The Hidden Disability Sunflower initiative aims to increase understanding and willingness to help on public transport and to represent a further step towards inclusion and accessibility.

You can plan your journey from start to finish with the online timetable and SBB Mobile app. As well as timetables, you can also find information about accessible services, train compositions and the section in which the low-floor access coach with wheelchair space and accessible toilets will stop.

To the instructions “Find accessible connections in the SBB online timetable”
To the instructions “Find accessible connections in the SBB Mobile app”

SBB has expanded its range of low-floor services throughout Switzerland. Along with accessible railway stations and platform height adjustments, this allows passengers with reduced mobility to access the trains independently.

To more information on accessible rolling stock

The requirements for accessible customer information have been partially fulfilled. For the information panels, the requirements regarding contrast and legibility have been adhered to. Station announcements comply with the requirements regarding intelligibility.

Currently, the following measures are the focus for customer information:

• SBB has installed a total of around 1,000 smart information displays at small and medium-sized stations.
• Until 2032, all stations where customer information redundancy is appropriate (800 boarding passengers) will be equipped with acoustic speakers. This means that all customer information displayed at the station can also be accessed and repeated acoustically for people with a visual impairment.
• The central customer information system on board the trains is currently being modified to allow for information to be updated in real time. In future, this will make it possible to display information directly on the screens in the train in the event of a service disruption.
• Customer information that is not yet available at the station acoustically is available digitally in the award-winning SBB Inclusive app. Information can be accessed in accordance with the user’s individual needs. SBB Inclusive will also be further developed as a channel.

All sales channels allow customers to purchase tickets accessibly and meet the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act.

The operating controls at the ticket machines meet the requirements of the DDA. For people who are blind, have a visual impairment and all other customers who need help to operate the ticket machines, the SBB helpline is available around the clock on the toll-free number 0800 11 44 77.

People who are blind or have a visual impairment can also buy their tickets accessibly online at SBB.ch or in the SBB Mobile app.

At staffed SBB Travel Centres, a folding table or an adjustable counter (in accordance with the new Travel Centre concept) enables people with a disability (e.g. people in wheelchairs or those with a reduced mobility) to be served sitting down.

The digital world enriches our lives in many different ways and is appearing in more and more aspects of our daily routine.

SBB is continuously optimising many of its services on websites, apps and in PDF documents to make them fully accessible, ensuring that they 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 experts tested whether the website was accessible and standards for certification are upheld.

Technical disruptions to lifts and escalators at Zurich main station are listed on the Zurich main station page.