SBB to remove bins from seats on trains

SBB has confirmed it is removing the small bins often found near seats on long-distance trains in Switzerland. The rail company hopes to make Swiss trains cleaner.

SBB removing bins from seats on long-distance trains 

The Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) is on a mission to make trains in Switzerland cleaner by removing the conveniently located bins from four-seaters on long-distance trains. The rail company already began moving the small bins from seating areas on regional trains at the beginning of 2026. 

SBB is now starting to relocate bins to a different part of the train. The renovation work will apply to both first and second class on, for example, double-decker FV-Dosto and IR-Dosto trains, SBB spokesperson Mara Zenhäusern confirmed to Watson.

Bins will be moved to the areas near the train entrances instead. The changes will be introduced gradually and will be complete by the end of 2028. 

Train seat bins unpleasant for passengers

The small bins, while convenient, “fill up quickly and can therefore look dirty and cause unpleasant odours," continues Zenhäusern. In 2025, the Federal Office of Transport (FOT) reported that around 1,4 million people take the train each day in Switzerland - leaving behind lots of rubbish!

Moving the rubbish bins away from the seats will also give public transport users more legroom on some trains. Zenhäusern explains that the move will also benefit the company financially, since employees will be given less time to empty bins and clean trains.

The bins were originally designed for small bits of rubbish, such as wrappers, but have increasingly been used for plastic drinks bottles and cans, which can fill the bins up quickly. SBB has also upgraded recycling bins at train stations to offer passengers more recycling options. Bern-based BLS also implemented similar changes in a trial in November 2024.