Passengers trapped in first class on SBB train charged for ticket upgrade

Rushing to board a train at the last minute via the first-class carriage proved to be an expensive business for some passengers in Switzerland this week. Due to a faulty door, they ended up stuck in the first-class carriage and were charged by SBB staff to upgrade their tickets. 

Passengers charged ticket upgrades after getting stuck in first class

On Tuesday evening, passengers travelling between Bern and Zurich boarded a train via the first-class carriage, intending to move directly to the second-class carriage. However, they found that the connecting door between the two carriages was malfunctioning, leaving them trapped in the first-class carriage after the train departed. 

According to a report in SRF, SBB staff on the train were not very sympathetic when the passengers explained their predicament, instead choosing to charge all of the second-class ticket holders a fee to upgrade to first class. 

Their justification? The passengers had taken advantage of the first-class offerings and had benefited from them, no matter whether this was involuntary or not. They added that it would be unfair to the other first-class passengers to waive the supplementary payment just because the door was broken. 

SBB describes decision as “a bit strict”

Alliance Swisspass, the industry organisation responsible for public transportation in Switzerland, told SRF that, in principle, second-class ticket holders are allowed to board first-class carriages, as long as they “immediately head for second class”. 

SBB and Alliance Swisspass both said it was “very rare” for the door between first-class and second-class carriages to be blocked, and said that normally the passenger would be asked to transfer to the correct carriage via the platform as soon as possible, normally at the next station. However, the train crew on this occasion didn’t seem willing to offer this as an option. 

The company said that staff often have to make tricky snap decisions, something that requires “tact and a sense of proportion”. While they insisted that the decision in question was correct, “from a tariff perspective”, they admitted that it was “a bit strict”. 

SBB said that all affected passengers should contact customer service directly, to have their class upgrade fee reviewed.