Due to extensive renovations on the rail line between Bern and Fribourg, rail traffic throughout western Switzerland is set to be disrupted from June 27 to August 25, 2025. From cancelled trains to replacement buses, here’s what you need to know:
Bern-Fribourg rail line to close for eight weeks from June 27
Starting at 10.30pm on June 27, Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) will conduct eight weeks of major work on the main line between Bern and the city of Fribourg. This will involve installing step-free access at Schmitten station, repairing existing tracks, renewing and replacing other sections of the line, and other crucial improvements at a total cost of 90 million francs.
However, as the track is also the main line between Bern, Lausanne and Geneva, major disruption to long-distance and local train services is expected. SBB argued in a statement that by totally closing the line for eight weeks, passengers can avoid having to endure three years of partial closures and disruptions.
With this in mind, here’s an overview of the disruption expected:
InterCity and InterRegional trains disrupted by repairs
From 10.30pm on June 27 until 4am on August 25, InterCity 1 (IC1) trains between Geneva and St. Gallen via Renens, Lausanne, Bern and Zurich, among others, will not run between Fribourg and Bern in either direction. The same will apply to the InterRegional 15 (IR15) service between Lucerne and Geneva.
Passengers on these long-distance services can alight in Bern or Fribourg, then use a replacement bus to travel between the two stations before continuing their journey. These buses will run every 10 minutes at peak times, and SBB has the potential to increase their number should demand increase.
However, with the bus expected to add at least 30 minutes to journey times, many travellers will benefit from travelling via a different route. For example, if you plan to travel from eastern Switzerland, Zurich or Basel, to French-speaking areas or back, it will likely be faster to avoid the IC1 and IR15 and instead use the IC5 via Solothurn and Biel/Bienne.
Regional and local trains to and from Bern cancelled
In terms of regional services, both RE2 and RE3 trains will not run between Bern and Fribourg and Düdingen and Fribourg, respectively, with passengers advised to use replacement buses to complete their journeys. The local S1 line will also not run between Bern and Fribourg, and from Bern it will run as far as Bern-Belp, following the same stopping pattern as the S31. The S2 is also cancelled between Bern Europaplatz and Laupen.
Passengers are advised to check the SBB website or mobile app to find the fastest journeys during the disruption. Cyclists have also been told to take extra care when planning their journeys, as most replacement buses running at peak times will not accept bicycles.