Swiss public transport: top punctuality for regional trains and buses

Post on: 17.06.2025

The Swiss public transport system remains among the most reliable in Europe: in 2024, almost 95% of trains and around 90% of regional buses complied with the scheduled timetable. This is what emerges from the annual report published today by the Federal Office of Transport (FOT).

Solid numbers, especially outside urban centres

In particular, the urban, rural and mountain connections stood out for their high degree of punctuality, with a level of efficiency that has exceeded even that of the main urban axes. Suburban trains (S-Bahn/RER) maintained good performance, while a slight decline was recorded in Direct, RegioExpress and suburban buses.

According to the data, 94.8% of trains and 89.8% of buses were arrived at their destination less than three minutes late, the threshold considered "on time" by the official monitoring.

Services improving, but some critical issues remain

The report also highlights a general improvement in the quality of the journey: More cleaning, less damage to infrastructure and clearer and more up-to-date customer information. However, there is a decline in the functionality of the technical equipment, particularly in ticket machines, due to software problems.

Swiss public transport | The least punctual cantons

Despite the good overall performance, some cantons did not reach the minimum standards set by the Confederation. For trains, the Graubünden, Zug, Valais and Vaud remain below the acceptable threshold (compared to six cantons in the previous year).

As regards regional buses, the number of cantons that do not reach the punctuality threshold is reduced from eleven to ten, including Ticino, as well as Basel-Stadt, Fribourg, Geneva, Graubünden, Lucerne, Neuchâtel, Thurgau, Vaud and Valais.

The FOT report therefore confirms a healthy system, but with localised room for improvement, especially in denser areas or secondary networks. A useful snapshot to guide future investments in Swiss public transport.