More Rail: New Traveller Record in Q2 (cross-border guide)

Context

In a nutshell

• Rail passenger transport in Switzerland continues to break records. - In the second quarter of the year, 6.3 billion passenger-kilometres were reached. - The increase compared to the same period last year is 5.2%, while compared to the first three months of the year it is 8.8%.

Key facts

• What : New Q2 traveler record. - When: second quarter of the year. - Where: Switzerland. - Who: Information service for public transport (LITRE). - Amount: 6.3 billion passenger-kilometres.

Rail passenger transport in Switzerland continues to break records. In the second quarter of the year, 6.3 billion passenger-kilometres were reached. The increase compared to the same period last year is 5.2%, while compared to the first three months of the year it is 8.8%. The previous absolute record dates back to the period October-December 2025, with 6.1 billion passenger-kilometres.

The Information Service for Public Transport (LITRA) has published a note today in which it reports these data. The LITRE was based on data provided by the railway companies SBB, BLS, MGB, MOB, RegionAlps, Rhaetian Railway, SBB, SOB, TILO, TPF and WRS to publish its statistics.

According to data provided by the LITRE, the region with the highest number of passengers is central Switzerland, with 1.4 billion passenger-kilometres in the second quarter. This is

Operational details

Rail passenger transport in Switzerland continues to grow. In the second quarter of the year, 6.3 billion passenger-kilometres were reached. This increase is due to the usual annual trend in passenger traffic volume. In the second quarter, demand in the passenger transport sector recorded seasonal growth.

The increase in passenger traffic is particularly evident in Switzerland's most popular tourist areas, such as the Graubünden region, the canton of Bern and the city of Zurich. According to data provided by the Federal Office of Roads (UFDS), rail traffic increased by 10.5% in the canton of Graubünden compared to the same period last year. In the canton of Bern, rail traffic increased by 8.5%.

According to the director of the Swiss Transport Association (ASTRA), the growth in passenger traffic is mainly due to the increase in demand for travelers to the most popular tourist areas of Switzerland. "Switzerland is a very popular country among tourists, and rail traffic is one of the main modes of transport to reach these areas," said ASTRA's director.

The growth in passenger traffic is also due to the increase in the quality of service offered by Swiss railways. According to data provided by Swiss Railways, the passenger satisfaction rate increased by 12.5% in the second quarter

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Key points

The second quarter of 2023 set a new record for rail traffic in Switzerland, according to data provided by LITRA (Interregional Workplace for Traffic Trends and Research). Data was collected from leading Swiss railway companies, including FFS, BLS, MGB, MOB, RegionAlps, Rhaetian Railway, SBB, SOB, TILO, TPF and WRS. Regarding freight traffic, the following companies were considered: BLS Cargo, DB Cargo, RailCare, SBB Cargo, SBB Cargo International, Sersa, TR Trans Rail, TX Logistik and WRS.

This increase is due to the usual annual trend in passenger traffic volume. The second quarter is indeed a period of high season for the railways, with an increase in travellers for tourist and business reasons.

Data from the LITRE show that passenger traffic reached a record 46.2 million travellers, an increase of 6.5% compared to the same period last year. On the other hand, freight traffic reached a volume of 1.3 million tons, an increase of 4.5% compared to the same period last year.

The canton of Bern was one of the main contributors to the increase in rail traffic, with an increase of 7.2% compared to the same period last year. The city of Bern recorded a 10.5% increase in rail traffic, with a total of 2.5 million passengers.

Switzerland continues to invest in its rail network, with projects such as the

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Source: swissinfo.ch