SBB to spend 100 million francs on offering supersaver tickets
By Jan de Boer
Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) is set to spend 100 million francs on offering discount tickets. The news means that more “supersaver” deals will be available to purchase compared to previous years.
SBB to offer more supersaver tickets in 2025 and 2026
In a statement, SBB and the official Swiss Price Monitor Stefan Meierhans confirmed that the company will be spending 100 million francs on offering discount public transport tickets in 2025 and 2026. The rail provider noted that 13 million francs more will be spent on the scheme every year.
The money will go towards offering so-called supersaver tickets. These tickets allow users to travel on Swiss public transport with up to a 70 percent discount, with cheap tickets available in both first and second class.
For instance, with a half-fare travel card, the cheapest single second-class supersaver ticket from Zurich to Geneva would cost 19,60 francs instead of the standard 46 francs. However, supersaver tickets are not always guaranteed - typically, they are only available in advance, with the cheapest ones usually offered for services during off-peak times. They are also non-refundable and need to be used on a specific rail service.
The threat of rising ticket prices remains
“The share of public transport in total transport will be increased. To support this goal, the price regulator and SBB agreed that travellers should be given discounts”, the statement read. “Supersaver tickets help to keep profits in long-distance transport within a reasonable range. They can also lead to increased use of public transport.” Officials added that it also allows them to “steer” passengers onto less busy services.
While the news will likely lead to an increase in supersaver tickets, the threat of rising prices remains. The regulator Alliance SwissPass has said in the past that they would not increase fares until 2025, having last hiked prices in 2023. Whether they will raise prices again remains to be seen.
Thumb image credit: ToM-5400 / Shutterstock.com
Never miss a thing!Sign up for our weekly newsletters with important news stories, expat events and special offers.
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