50 passengers evacuated after Zurich Airport's "Heidi Train" gets stuck

Anyone who has travelled to or from Zurich Airport’s E Gates will be familiar with the sound of Heidi’s voice wishing them a safe onward journey. On Monday, however, the Skymetro train came to a stop and 50 passengers had to continue on foot.

Technical malfunction halts Zurich Airport Skymetro

The Skymetro at Zurich Airport transports travellers from the main airport building (Gates A, B or D) to Terminal E, where most international flights arrive and depart. The automated airport transfer has been nicknamed the “Heidi train” as passengers are greeted by the iconic Swiss character, who yodels to guests as the train travels through a tunnel.

The transport, however, ran into some trouble at around 8am on Monday, July 19. While travelling from Terminal E to the main airport building, the train “got stuck” due to a technical malfunction, according to a 20 Minuten report. An eyewitness described a “sudden bang before the train came to a stop” in the tunnel.

50 passengers on board were left waiting on the train until the fire department arrived and opened the doors. Travellers were then guided roughly 200 to 300 metres through the tunnel to the nearest exit.

Skymetro successfully evacuated

An airport spokeswoman confirmed the technical issue and that the cause is under investigation. Overall, the evacuation “went smoothly”, and one passenger told 20 Minuten that “everyone took it in stride”. Luckily, no one missed their flight, and everyone made it to their onward destination in time. 

The Skymetro returned to full operation at 9.05am. This is not the first time such an incident has occurred, and while the airport did not specify exactly how many times it has occurred, a clear procedure is in place.

“Passengers are kept informed via announcements and receive on-site assistance. Depending on the situation, passengers are properly evacuated by the emergency services. If the Skymetro is out of service, passenger buses operate between Dock E and the Airside Centre,” explained an airport spokesperson.