Printed transport timetable returns from the dead

The Glacier Express between Andermatt and the Oberalppass Keystone

Reports of the death of Swiss Federal Railways’ printed Official Timetable have been greatly exaggerated. Despite the announcement in 2016 that this year’s edition would be the last, a slimmed-down version will be appear in November. 

The book – which gives the times for every public train, bus, boat and cable car journey across the country – will next year be published by the Public Transport Interest Group, rail lobby group Pro Bahn Switzerland and the Swiss Environmental Transport Association. 

The association explained on Friday that despite the popularity of the federal railways’ SBB MobileExternal link app, the printed timetable remained irreplaceable for many customers. 

It added that the 2018 edition, which will have a limited print run, was possible thanks to the “friendly support” of the federal railways, which had made travel data available. 

Unlike this year’s three-volume 2.7kg doorstopper, bus lines will be dropped next year, resulting in a lighter edition, weighing 900g. 

It will available in some 60 stations around the country from the end of November. It can already be ordered from the traffic association’s website for CHF19 ($19.80), excluding postage and packaging. 

Limited demand 

The federal railways announced the end of the printed timetable last November. It said that while it received 360 million digital queries a year, demand for the printed timetable had dropped from around half a million copies in the 1980s and 1990s to the current print run of 25,000. 

The Federal Office of Transport said the sales revenue from the timetables no longer covered the printing costs. 

However, it said it would still be downloadable, and regional and city printed timetables – as well as posters in stations – would continue to exist. Passengers can still download route tablesExternal link from the official timetable.