Editing Transport in Switzerland

{{Short description|none}} <!-- "none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]] -->
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2024}}
[[File:Railwaysystem Switzerland 2017.svg|thumb|The Swiss railway network]]
[[File:Image-Swiss-Highway-network-en.png|thumb|The Swiss road network]]

[[Switzerland]] has a dense network of roads and railways. The Swiss [[public transport|public]] [[transport network]] has a total length of {{Convert|24,500|km}} and has more than 2,600 stations and stops.

The crossing of the [[Alps]] is an important route for European transportation, as the Alps separate Northern Europe from Southern Europe. Alpine railway routes began in 1882 with the [[Gotthard Railway]], with its central [[Gotthard Rail Tunnel]], followed in 1906 by the Simplon Tunnel and the [[Lötschberg Tunnel]] in 1913. As part of the [[NRLA|New Railway Link through the Alps]] (NRLA) in 2007, the [[Lötschberg Base Tunnel]] opened, followed by the [[Gotthard Base Tunnel]] opened in 2016.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.alptransit-portal.ch/en/overview/ |title=Overview |work=The AlpTransit Portal |publisher=Swiss Federal Archives SFA, Swiss Federal Office of Transport FOT, Swiss Confederation |location=Berne, Switzerland |date=2016 |access-date=18 June 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160916212843/https://www.alptransit-portal.ch/en/overview/ |archive-date=16 September 2016 }}</ref>

The Swiss road network is funded by [[road pricing|road toll]]s and vehicle taxes. The Swiss motorway system requires the purchase of a [[Vignette (road tax)#Switzerland|road tax disc]]—which costs 40 [[Swiss franc]]s for one calendar year—in order for private cars and commercial trucks to use its roadways. {{As of|2000}}, the Swiss motorway network has a total length of {{Convert|1,638|km}} and has also—with an area of {{Convert|41,290|km2|abbr=on}}—one of the highest motorway densities in the world.

[[Zurich Airport]] is Switzerland's largest international flight gateway, handling 24.9 million passengers in 2013.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.flughafen-zuerich.ch/~/media/FlughafenZH/Dokumente/Das_Unternehmen/Flughafen_Zuerich_AG/Statistikbericht_2012.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2014-03-30 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150325160721/http://www.flughafen-zuerich.ch/~/media/FlughafenZH/Dokumente/Das_Unternehmen/Flughafen_Zuerich_AG/Statistikbericht_2012.pdf |archive-date=2015-03-25 }}</ref> The second-largest airport, [[Geneva Cointrin International Airport|Geneva Cointrin]], handled 14.4 million passengers (2013) and the third-largest [[EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg]] 6.5 million passengers; both airports are shared with France.

Switzerland has approved billions of [[Swiss franc|francs]] for the improvement of its public-transportation infrastructure. The [[modal split]] for public transportation is one of the highest in Europe, standing at 21.3% in 2010.<ref>http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/statistics_explained/index.php?title=File:Modal_split_of_inland_passenger_transport,_2000_and_2010_(1)_(%25_of_total_inland_passenger-km)-de.png&filetimestamp=20130912125052 {{Dead link|date=August 2022}}</ref> In many cities with a population above 100,000, the modal split for public transportation lies above 50%.

==Public transport==
Switzerland has an extensive and reliable public transport network (see e.g. [[public transport in Zurich]]). Due to the [[clock-face schedule]], the different [[modes of transport]]s are well integrated. There is a national [[integrated ticketing]] system for public transport which is organised in [[List of Swiss tariff networks|tariff networks]] (for all train and [[transit bus|bus]] services and some boat lines, [[aerial lift|cable cars]] and [[funicular]]s). For non-Swiss tourists, travelling by train, bus and boat in the country is facilitated with the ''Swiss Travel Pass''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://switzerlandtravelcentre.com/en/che/ticket/swiss-travel-pass |title=Swiss Travel Pass |publisher=Switzerland Travel Center |access-date=2024-12-01}}</ref> [[Eurail]] and [[Interrail]] [[rail pass]]es are both vailid in Switzerland.

Many Swiss railway stations have [[bicycle parking]] (or a [[bicycle parking station|bicycle-parking station]]) and [[park and ride]], known as P+Rail,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sbb.ch/en/tickets-offers/private-transport/car-parking/park-and-rail.html |title=P+Rail – your parking space at the station |publisher=Swiss Federal Railways |access-date=2024-12-01}}</ref> and many of them also offer [[Mobility Carsharing]].

==Railways==
{{Main|Rail transport in Switzerland}}
{{See also|List of heritage railways and funiculars in Switzerland}}
[[File:Panoramic Train.jpg|thumb|Intercity on the Gotthard line]]

Switzerland has a very high density of railway network, with an average of {{Convert|122|km}} of track for every 1,000&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> ({{Convert|122|km|disp=out}} per {{Convert|1000|km2|disp=out}}; average of {{Convert|46|km|abbr=on}} in the [[European Union|EU]]).<ref>[http://www.swissworld.org/en/economy/transport/rail/ Rail] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130527113029/http://www.swissworld.org/en/economy/transport/rail/ |date=2013-05-27 }} swissworld.org</ref> In 2008, each Swiss citizen travelled, on average, {{Convert|2,422|km|abbr=on}} by rail, which makes them the most frequent users of rail transport.<ref>[http://www.bav.admin.ch/dokumentation/publikationen/00475/01623/01624/index.html?lang=de Schienenverkehr] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100815004746/http://www.bav.admin.ch/dokumentation/publikationen/00475/01623/01624/index.html?lang=de |date=2010-08-15 }} admin.ch (German)</ref> There are only a few [[high-speed rail in Switzerland|high-speed railway lines]].

Many of the Swiss [[Standard-gauge railway|standard-gauge]] railway lines are part of the nationwide [[Swiss Federal Railways]] (SBB) system, although other standard gauge lines are operated by independent companies such as [[BLS AG]] or [[Südostbahn]]. In addition numerous [[list of narrow-gauge railways in Switzerland|narrow-gauge railways]] are operated, the largest company of its kind being the [[Rhaetian Railway]]. In total, {{Convert|5100|km|abbr=on}} of rail network are used.

Swiss Federal Railways run some 5,000 passenger train services covering about {{Convert|274000|km}} daily. Half of these train services are long-distance; the other half are regional and suburban services. In 2013, 366 million passengers used the Swiss Federal Railways.

Rail transport in Switzerland also includes a [[car shuttle train#Switzerland|car and truck transportation service]] ({{langx|de|Autoverlad}}) on some lines.

===Urban rail===
{{See also|List of town tramway systems in Switzerland|S-Bahn#Switzerland}}

Urban commuter rail networks, known mostly as [[S-Bahn]], are focused on the country's cities: [[Zurich S-Bahn|Zurich]], [[Léman Express|Geneva]], [[Basel S-Bahn|Basel]], [[Bern S-Bahn|Bern]], [[RER Fribourg|Fribourg]], [[RER Vaud|Lausanne]], [[Lucerne S-Bahn|Lucerne]], [[St. Gallen S-Bahn|St. Gallen]], [[Schaffhausen S-Bahn|Schaffhausen]] and [[Chur S-Bahn|Chur]]. [[Aargau S-Bahn]] provides regional train services mainly in the canton of Aargau, [[Transports publics Neuchâtelois|transN]] in the canton of Neuchâtel, [[RegionAlps]] in the canton of Valais and [[Treni Regionali Ticino Lombardia|TILO]] in the canton of Tessin and the Italian province of Lombardy. Some services near [[Lake Constance]] ({{lang|de|Bodensee}}) also operate for [[Bodensee S-Bahn]].

Several cities, such as Basel, Bern and Zurich, have a [[tram]] network. During the mid 20th century, some cities (such as [[Trams in Lugano|Lugano]] and [[Trams in Winterthur|Winterthur]]) replaced their tram lines with [[List of trolleybus systems in Switzerland|trolleybus]] lines.

Lausanne is the only city with a metro system ([[Lausanne Metro]]), which includes two lines: one is [[light rail]]; the other, a fully automated metro, opened in 2008. After its opening, Lausanne replaced [[Rennes]] as the smallest city in the world to have a full metro system.

===Mountain rail===
{{Main|List of mountain railways in Switzerland|List of rack railways#Switzerland}}
[[File:Muerrenbahn-02.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Bergbahn Lauterbrunnen-Mürren|Mürren train]] ]]
Trains cannot climb steep gradients, so it is necessary to build large amounts of track in order to gain height gradually. Transversals through the Alps were made possible with the use of hidden circular tunnels, which are called [[Spiral (railway)|spiral railways]]. In the case of extremely mountainous terrain, railway engineers opted for the more economical narrow-gauge construction.

The many railway viaducts of the Rhaetian Railway in the [[Grisons|canton of Graubünden]], built for the most part in the early 20th century, have become a tourist attraction as well as a necessary transport system, drawing rail enthusiasts from all over the world.

Some railways were built only for tourist purposes as the Gornergrat or the [[Jungfraujoch]], Europe's highest station in the Bernese Oberland, at an altitude of 3,454 metres (11,330&nbsp;ft).

===Funicular===
{{Main|List of funiculars in Switzerland}}

===Proposed Maglev===
{{Main|Swissmetro}}
In response to the increasing need for transport capacity and the cost of ground surface infrastructures, an underground transportation system has been proposed and studied. The trains would use linear motor and magnetic levitation to reach speeds about {{Convert|500|km/h|abbr=on}}. The project is not likely to be realised in the near future, but a license for application has been deposited for a trial line between Geneva and Lausanne.

==Cable transport==
{{Main|List of aerial tramways in Switzerland}}

==Roads==
{{See also|Motorways of Switzerland|List of highest paved roads in Switzerland}}

[[File:Picswiss BE-95-11 Postauto (Sustenpass - Urnerseite).jpg|thumb|right|[[PostBus Switzerland|Postauto]] on the [[Susten Pass|Susten road]] ]]

Switzerland has a network of two-lane national roads. These roads usually lack a median or [[central reservation]]. Some stretches are controlled-access, in that all traffic must enter and exit through ramps and must cross using grade separations.

Two of the important motorways are the [[A1 (Switzerland)|A1]], running from [[St. Margrethen]] in northeastern Switzerland's [[canton of St. Gallen]] through to Geneva in southwestern Switzerland, and the [[A2 (Switzerland)|A2]], running from Basel in northwestern Switzerland to [[Chiasso]] in southern Switzerland's [[canton of Ticino]], using the [[Gotthard Road Tunnel]].

''Autobahn'' (plural: ''Autobahnen'') is the German name; in [[Romandy|French-speaking Switzerland]] they are known as ''autoroutes'', and in Italian-speaking Switzerland they are known as ''autostrade'' (singular: ''autostrada''). Swiss motorways have general [[speed limit]]s of 120&nbsp;km/h (75&nbsp;mph).

{| class="wikitable" border="1" style="margin:1em auto;"
|+ Length of the national, cantonal and municipal road network (2007)
! Total !! National roads !! Cantonal roads !! Municipal roads
|-
| {{Convert|71,345.6|km|abbr=on|disp=br}}|| {{Convert|1,763.6|km|abbr=on|disp=br}}||{{Convert|18,136|km|abbr=on|disp=br}}
| {{Convert|51,446|km|abbr=on|disp=br}}
|}

===Road passenger transport===
{{See also|List of trolleybus systems in Switzerland|List of bus operating companies#Switzerland}}
Local bus services cover the whole country. [[Postauto]] cover the smaller urban areas and every region not connected to the rail network.

Switzerland also has a well-developed network of [[carsharing|car sharing]] organised by the [[Mobility Carsharing]] [[cooperative]].

Taxi services are also a common and convenient option for travelers looking for a quick and straightforward way to reach their hotels, corporate meetings, or other locations in Switzerland.

Another type of passenger transport service is airport transfers. They often utilize luxurious vehicles equipped with amenities.
These services encompass the provision of transportation from the airport to various destinations, such as hotels, business meetings, headquarters of international organizations, or tourist attractions. 
Whether for business or leisure, airport transfers offer a transition between flights and final destinations, making them an essential component of modern travel.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://toptransfer.ch/blog/frequently-asked-questions-about-zurich-airport-transfers/ | title = What do Airport Transfers do? | publisher = Swiss Top Transfer GmbH | access-date = 26 August 2023}}</ref>

==Biking==
{{See also|Swiss National Bike Routes}}
[[Cycling]] is included and promoted in the [[Swiss constitution]] since 2018. Concretely, the authorities must develop bike-lanes and related infrastructures.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/september-23-ballot_swiss-to-vote-on-the-importance-of-cycling/44409042|title = Bikes coast into Swiss constitution with clear voter support}}</ref>

The Asian trend of bike sharing came to Switzerland in 2017 with new companies emerging such as [[Lime (transportation company)|Lime]], PubliBike and Smide. The Singaporean-based, former company [[oBike]] launched in the city of Zürich on 5 July 2017.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Petrò|first1=Lorenzo|title=Plötzlich hat Zürich einen mobilen Veloverleih|url=http://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/zuerich/region/ploetzlich-hat-zuerich-einen-mobilen-veloverleih/story/24285267|access-date=17 July 2017|publisher=Tages-Anzeiger|date=14 July 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170721030345/http://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/zuerich/region/Ploetzlich-hat-Zuerich-einen-mobilen-Veloverleih/story/24285267|archive-date=21 July 2017}}</ref>

==Air transport==
[[File:swiss.a320-200.hb-ijq.arp.jpg|thumb|right|[[Airbus A320-200]] of the  [[flag carrier|national carrier]] - [[Swiss International Air Lines]]]]
[[File:Edelweiss Air Airbus A340-300 on finals at Zurich.jpg|thumb|right|[[Airbus A340-300]] of [[Edelweiss Air]]]]
{{See also|List of airports in Switzerland}}
*64 (2012)
*Airports - with paved runways
**total: 41
**over {{Convert|3,047|m|4=-3|abbr=on}}: 3
***[[Zurich Airport]]
***[[Geneva Airport]]
***[[EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg]]
**{{Convert|2,438 to 3,047|m|4=-3|abbr=on}}: 2
**{{Convert|1,524 to 2,437|m|4=-3|abbr=on}}: 13
**{{Convert|914 to 1,523|m|4=-3|abbr=on}}: 6
***[[Bern Airport]]
***[[Lugano Airport]]
**under {{Convert|914|m|4=-3|abbr=on}}: 17 (2012)
*Airports - with unpaved runways:
**total: 23
**under {{Convert|914|m|4=-3|abbr=on}}: 23 (2012)
*[[Heliport]]s: 1
[[File:Zurichairportshopping.jpg|thumb|right|Interior of Zurich Airport]]

[[Zurich Airport]] {{Airport codes|ZRH|LSZH}} also called '''Kloten Airport''', located in [[Kloten]], [[canton of Zürich]], is Switzerland's largest international flight gateway and hub to [[Swiss International Air Lines]] and [[Lufthansa]]. The airport handled 27.6 million passengers in 2016.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/fr/home/statistiques/mobilite-transports/themes-transversaux.assetdetail.3342130.html|title=Civil aviation in Switzerland|website=statistique suisse|date=19 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180424010457/https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/fr/home/statistiques/mobilite-transports/themes-transversaux.assetdetail.3342130.html|archive-date=2018-04-24|url-status=live|access-date=21 December 2017}}</ref> In 2003, Zurich International completed an expansion project in which it built a car park, a midfield terminal, and an automated underground train to move passengers between the existing terminal complex and the new terminal. Zurich International lost traffic when [[Swissair]] shut down its operations (most of its assets were then taken over by the former [[Crossair]]). When [[Lufthansa]] took over its successor [[Swiss International Air Lines]] (SWISS), traffic grew again.

Zurich Airport's railway station ([[Zürich Flughafen railway station|Zürich Flughafen]]) is underneath the terminal. There are trains to many parts of Switzerland; frequent [[S-Bahn]] services, plus direct Inter-regio and intercity services to [[Winterthur]], Bern, Basel and [[Lucerne]] (Luzern). By changing trains at [[Zürich Hauptbahnhof]] most other places in Switzerland can be reached in a few hours.

The second largest airport of the country, [[Geneva Airport]] {{Airport codes|GVA|LSGG}}, handled 16.5 million passengers in 2016.<ref name=":0" /> The airport has a single runway, the longest of its kind in Switzerland at {{Convert|3900|m}}, built in 1960. The runway could only be built after an agreement was reached with France to exchange a piece of territory since it wouldn't otherwise fit entirely in Switzerland. In compensation, the airport has a French sector in its terminals, and therefore flights incoming/outgoing from/to France are considered domestic and a segregated road leads to the airport from France without crossing the Swiss customs.

A turnaround occurred in 1996 when Swissair decided to abandon all the intercontinental routes departing from Geneva except for New York and Washington (that is, all its African destinations). The airport then requested the Swiss Federal Government to implement an open skies policy for Geneva and abolish the legal monopoly enjoyed by Swissair. Following the open skies policy, Geneva Airport now serves over 110 direct destinations from more than 55 airlines. It is the main hub for [[easyJet Switzerland]] and a focus airport for [[Swiss International Air Lines]], as well as home to the executive office of [[IATA]].

[[File:Geneva_airport_from_air.jpg|thumb|right|Aerial view of [[Geneva Airport]]]]

Road access to the airport is provided by highways: It is directly connected to the rest of Switzerland by the A1 highway and France via the A40. It has its own railway station, [[Geneva Airport railway station]], from the Swiss Federal Railways (CFF) located right besides the main terminal with trains regularly departing to the rest of Switzerland, towards Neuchâtel, Lausanne-Fribourg-Bern-Zürich, and Lausanne-Vevey-Montreux-Sion-Brig and stopping in all cases in Geneva main train station located in the city centre, which lies only 7 minutes away from the airport by train. Geneva train station is also connected via [[TGV Lyria|HSR to France]], and to the [[Léman Express]] rail network. The airport is also served by several Genevan public transport lines such as trolleybus line 10.

The third largest Swiss airport is [[EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg]] which handled 7.3 million passengers in 2016<ref name=":0" /> and is located entirely on French territory.

In addition, [[Sion Airport]] is a small airport in [[Sion, Switzerland|Sion]] ([[Valais]]) and [[St. Gallen–Altenrhein Airport]] near [[Lake Constance]].

==Water transport==
{{See also|List of lakes in Switzerland|List of rivers of Switzerland}}

===Inland waterways===
*{{Convert|65|km|abbr=on}}; [[High Rhine]]: between Basel and [[Rheinfelden (Aargau)|Rheinfelden]] and between [[Schaffhausen]] and [[Lake Constance]] ({{langx|de|Bodensee}})
*12 navigable lakes
*The [[Interlaken Ship Canal]]
*The [[Nidau-Büren Canal]]
*The [[Thun Ship Canal]]
*The [[Hurden Ship Canal]]

===Ports and harbours ===
Switzerland is a landlocked country and has only small ports on its rivers, such as the Port of Basel. There are also ports on larger lakes, such as Lake Constance (e.g. [[Romanshorn]]. [[Rorschach, Switzerland|Rorschach]]; the latter two were historically used by [[Lake Constance train ferries|train ferries]]).

===Merchant marine===
{{Main|Merchant Marine of Switzerland}}
*total: 38 ships (1,000 [[Gross Tonnage|GT]] or over) 597,049 GT/{{DWT|1,051,380|metric|disp=long}}
*ships by type: bulk 19, cargo 9, chemical tanker 5, container 4, petroleum tanker 1

===Ship lines on lakes and rivers===
*''[[Compagnie Générale de Navigation sur le lac Léman]]'' and ''[[Mouettes Genevoises Navigation]]'' (a [[water taxi]]) on [[Lake Geneva]] ({{lang|fr|Lac Léman}})
*''[[Zürichsee-Schifffahrtsgesellschaft]]'' on [[Lake Zurich]] ({{lang|de|Zürichsee}}) and the [[Limmat]]
*[[Lake Lucerne Navigation Company]] on [[Lake Lucerne]] ({{lang|de|Vierwaldstättersee}})
*''[[Schiffsbetrieb Walensee]]'' on [[Walensee|Lake Walen]] ({{lang|de|Walensee}})
*''[[Schweizerische Schifffahrtsgesellschaft Untersee und Rhein]]'' on [[Untersee (Lake Constance)|Lower Lake Constance]] ({{lang|de|Untersee}}) and the [[High Rhine]]
*''[[Società Navigazione del Lago di Lugano]]'' on [[Lake Lugano]] ({{lang|it|Lago di Lugano}} or {{lang|it|Lago di Ceresio}})
*''[[Gestione Governativa Navigazione Laghi]]'' on [[Lake Maggiore]] ({{lang|it|Lago Maggiore}})

===Car ferries===
*[[Beckenried-Gersau ferry]] across [[Lake Lucerne]] ({{lang|de|Vierwaldstättersee}})
*[[Horgen-Meilen car ferry]] across [[Lake Zurich]] ({{lang|de|Zürichsee}})
*[[Romanshorn]]–[[Friedrichshafen]] (Germany) car ferry across [[Lake Constance]] ({{lang|de|Bodensee}})

==Pipelines==
In 2010, Switzerland had {{convert|1681|km}} of natural gas pipelines, {{convert|95|km}} of [[crude oil]] pipelines, and {{convert|7|km}} of refined product pipelines.{{citation needed|date=June 2017}}

==Oversight==
The Swiss transport system is overseen by several offices within the [[Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications]]. The principal such offices are the:

* [[Federal Office for Civil Aviation of Switzerland|Federal Office for Civil Aviation]], which is responsible for [[civil aviation]].
* [[Federal Office of Transport]], which is responsible for public and freight transport, covering [[rail transport]], [[cableway]]s, [[ship]]s, [[tram]]s and [[bus]]es.
* [[Federal Roads Authority]], which is responsible for roads.

==Transport in adjacent countries==
{{div col|colwidth=10em}}
*{{flag icon|Austria}} [[Transport in Austria|Austria]]
*{{flag icon|France}} [[Transport in France|France]]
*{{flag icon|Germany}} [[Transport in Germany|Germany]]
*{{flag icon|Italy}} [[Transport in Italy|Italy]]
*{{flag icon|Liechtenstein}} [[Transport in Liechtenstein|Liechtenstein]]
{{div col end}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Switzerland}}
*[[NRLA]]
*[[List of mountain passes in Switzerland]]
*[[List of mountains of Switzerland accessible by public transport]]
*[[Vehicle registration plates of Switzerland]]
*[[Swiss Museum of Transport|Swiss Transport Museum]]
*[[List of Swiss tariff networks]]

== References ==
=== Citations ===
{{Reflist}}

=== Sources ===
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite book |last1 = Brown |first1 = Leslie |last2 = McKendrick |first2 = Joe |title = Paddle Steamers of the Alps |year = 1994 |publisher = Ferry Publications |location = Kilgetty, Pembrokeshire |isbn = 1-871947-19-7}}
{{Refend}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
* http://www.autobahnen.ch/ &mdash; A website about Swiss motorways

{{Clear}}
{{Switzerland topics}}
{{Urban public transport in Switzerland}}
{{Transportation in Europe}}
{{Portal bar|Transport|Switzerland}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Transport in Switzerland| ]]