Reports in the German-speaking press on Wednesday morning claimed that Swiss Federal Railways (SBB/CFF) would abolish its half-fare travelcard in 2027. Several French-speaking outlets repeated the story. A few hours later, Alliance SwissPass, which oversees national transport passes, denied it.
The confusion began with an article in K-Tipp, a German-language consumer magazine, which said that the half-fare card would be replaced by a new pricing model called “My Ride”. The system would grant discounts to frequent travellers in an effort to boost public-transport use. Ticket prices, the magazine said, would fall somewhere between half and full fares. The change would also spell the end of discounted “Supersaver” tickets and the newer “Half-Fare Plus” offer.
Alliance SwissPass quickly rejected the report. It confirmed that a new fare system is being considered—but not before 2035—and that the half-fare offer will remain. “We want to reorganise and rebuild the fare structure to meet future customer needs,” said Helmut Eichhorn, the head of SwissPass, speaking to Swiss public broadcaster RTS.
Eichhorn called the half-fare card a “valued product” that may evolve but will continue to exist. “We are not abolishing the half-fare offer,” he said. “Whether it will be paid monthly or annually, I cannot yet say—but a half-fare option will remain.”
Digital simplification, not disappearance
According to Eichhorn, the My Ride project aims to simplify the fare structure. “We currently have 4,000 different items to meet our customers’ needs,” he said, citing examples such as Half-Fare Plus, Supersaver tickets and discounted day passes. The new system would automatically propose the cheapest option based on a traveller’s journey, similar to existing digital services such as FAIRTIQ or Swiss Rail’s EasyRide app.
In addition, he insisted that the new system would not raise prices but could still bring in more revenue by increasing ridership. “We hope that simplification will encourage more people to choose public transport,” he said. “Additional income would come not from higher fares, but from greater use of the system.”
For more stories like this on Switzerland follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
