Gallstones and swords: SBB reveals the funniest things lost on Swiss trains
By Jan de Boer
It’s never fun forgetting something, especially when you leave it on a train that could be halfway to St. Gallen before you realise something is wrong. Now, Swiss Federal Railways (SBB), the national public transport provider, has revealed the silliest things left on their trains in 2022.
100.000 items lost on Swiss trains in 2022
In a statement, given to Nau.ch, SBB said that over 100.000 items were forgotten on Swiss trains in 2022. Luckily for the residents of the alpine nation, a little more than half of the lost items eventually find their way back to their owners.
Speaking on Radio Aargau, SBB spokesperson Jürg Grob said that most of the lost goods are everyday personal items. Mobile phones, wallets, coats, jackets, keys, suitcases and glasses were the most popular items to lose on people’s commutes to work or rail excursions to cities and towns.
Samurai swords, gallstones and prison jackets found on SBB trains
However, Grob also said that a number of weird and wonderful items have been found on their rail services in 2022. Unlike in previous years - where conductors have found everything from 180.000 francs worth of solid gold to vital business documents - the most peculiar find was a filled jar with the inscription “Grossi’s gallstones from 1966” - grossi indeed!
Other strange items found on Swiss trains this year included taxidermied animals, an authentic samurai sword, a stuffed cobra snake and an authentic prisoners jacket that was actually worn in the famous prison of Alcatraz. In addition, Grob concluded that someone must have been really late for their meeting, as conductors have also discovered a prosthetic leg and an electric wheelchair in the carriage.
Anyone who thinks they have lost an item on the Swiss train can visit the SBB lost and found offices in the main stations of Swiss cities - although reclaiming the items will cost between 5 and 20 francs. However, if the items are left unclaimed for long enough, they are sold off, so don’t be too surprised if a prosthetic leg comes up for auction in the near future!
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Jan studied History at the University of York and Broadcast Journalism at the University of Sheffield. Though born in York, Jan has lived most of his life in Zurich and has worked as a journalist, writer and editor since 2016.
While he has plunged head-first back into life in Switzerland since returning to the country in 2020, he still enjoys a taste of home at pub quizzes and karaoke nights.Read more