SBB 2025 Timetable Change

[blotred]

SBB (Swiss Federal Railways) have announced their December 2025 timetable change.
Of course most of it is probably only relevant to those who live in Switzerland... and tbh mostly in West Switzerland / French speaking Switzerland where major new timetable changes, service changes etc are happening.

However, they have given announcements on 2025 impact on cross-border rail traffic from France/Italy/Germany/Austria via Switzerland, which may be of interest to this forum for people planning 2025 cross-Europe railway itineraries which go via Switzerland

More information here (in English) https://www.sbb.ch/en/travel-information/rail-traffic-information/timetable-change.html and https://www.sbb.ch/en/travel-inform...gineering-works-timetable-changes/europe.html

ITALY
In Italy, the four-metre corridor between Domodossola and Milan will be expanded over several years, which will benefit transalpine freight traffic. As a result, services along the Simplon axis will have to be reduced for a number of years. This means there will be one less train in each direction between Basel‒Bern‒Milan and Geneva‒Brig‒Milan from Monday to Friday throughout 2025. On weekdays, there will continue to be six trains per day in each direction, while at weekends the number of trains will remain unchanged at eight.

From 8 June to 27 July and from 31 August to 12 September 2025, the line between Domodossola and Milan will be completely closed to rail traffic. This means that all EC trains between Domodossola and Milan will be cancelled. A rail replacement strategy with buses is currently being developed.

FRANCE
Due to track and points renewal work north of Dijon, it is expected that there will be fewer TGV services from Zurich and Lausanne to Paris and vice versa from Monday to Friday from 1 September to 5 December 2025. There may be diversions via Strasbourg and therefore longer journey times on the Zurich–Paris route.

GERMANY
Engineering work will take place all year round between Oberhausen and Emmerich on the border between Germany and the Netherlands. The night trains will be rerouted, resulting in changes to journey times and stops along the route. The night train will now stop in Eindhoven instead of Arnhem.

From 5 to 11 May 2025, the Lauterach West to Lustenau route (St. Margrethen–Bregenz line) will also be closed to rail traffic due to track renewal work. The EC trains between Zurich and Munich cannot run continuously. A rail replacement strategy is currently being developed.

From 26 July to 5 September, IC trains from Zurich to Stuttgart will terminate in Stuttgart Vaihingen. Passengers can change to the S-Bahn in Vaihingen.

From 26 August to 5 September 2025, the route between Buchenau and Fürstenfeldbruck (Buchloe–Munich line) will be closed to rail traffic due to track renewal work. The EC trains between Zurich and Munich cannot run continuously. A rail replacement strategy is currently being developed.

AUSTRIA
Due to maintenance work between Ötztal and Bludenz, no trains will be running along the Arlberg line from 23 to 29 April and from 6 October to 2 November 2025. The EC and night trains will be rerouted via Munich, which will lead to changes in journey times.

Due to the modernisation of the Tauern Tunnel, night trains to/from Zagreb will be rerouted from 18 November 2024 to 13 July 2025, resulting in longer journey times and adjusted arrival and departure times. The stop in Ljubljana will be cancelled. Passengers can travel to Ljubljana via Graz, which will increase the journey time and require additional changes.

For anyone interested, the changes in West Switzerland/French Speaking Switzerland involve introducing a new transfer hub between intercity trains at Renens (Canton Vaud) along with re-routing of InterCity trains, changes in stopping patterns and increased frequencies.

In case anyone doesn't know, a 4 meter corridor is a railway line capable of supporting lorries with trailer load heights of 4m, particularly useful for RORO Trains carrying HGVs/Goods.

 

[158801]

Very useful. Thank you

 

[canary fan]

SBB (Swiss Federal Railways) have announced their December 2025 timetable change.
Of course most of it is probably only relevant to those who live in Switzerland... and tbh mostly in West Switzerland / French speaking Switzerland where major new timetable changes, service changes etc are happening.

However, they have given announcements on 2025 impact on cross-border rail traffic from France/Italy/Germany/Austria via Switzerland, which may be of interest to this forum for people planning 2025 cross-Europe railway itineraries which go via Switzerland

More information here (in English) https://www.sbb.ch/en/travel-information/rail-traffic-information/timetable-change.html and https://www.sbb.ch/en/travel-inform...gineering-works-timetable-changes/europe.html


For anyone interested, the changes in West Switzerland/French Speaking Switzerland involve introducing a new transfer hub between intercity trains at Renens (Canton Vaud) along with re-routing of InterCity trains, changes in stopping patterns and increased frequencies.

In case anyone doesn't know, a 4 meter corridor is a railway line capable of supporting lorries with trailer load heights of 4m, particularly useful for RORO Trains carrying HGVs/Goods.

Thanks, but surely these are December 2024 changes, as their impact is happening in 2025.

 

[30907]

Thanks, but surely these are December 2024 changes, as their impact is happening in 2025.

Yes. The European convention is to call it the 2025 t/t.

 

[Gerald Fiennes]

Very impressive: high frequency between Aigle and Geneva effectively means that this route has become an RER-type service. And Montreux-Vevey-Bern is faster as a result of a useful connection at Palazieux (seemed to about a 30 min wait there before, I think, or c.15 mins at Lausanne). The only downside is that most passengers from Biel/Neuchatel to Geneva will have to change at Renens via the subway there: only a few peak specials being kept on the avoiding line that allows a direct connection.

A reminder that, even in Switzerland, the Taktfahrplan has to to be modified somewhat in the peaks as patterns of travel to work differ from all-day travel....