Foreign Ministry warns Swiss citizens about travel to the United States; SBB to operate 400 extra trains for the UEFA Women’s Euro; and other news in our Tuesday roundup.
Bern warns Swiss tourists about travelling to the United States
A Swiss woman was recently arrested and detained for 24 hours by immigration officers when she landed in New York because they suspected the 38-year-old teacher was going to work in the US — which she vehemently denied.
After she was ‘deported’ back to Switzerland, the Foreign Affairs Ministry (FDFA) expressed its concern to the American authorities “about the treatment of travellers entering the United States”
The FDFA has also revised its travel advisory following this incident.
It now advises Swiss citizens to “enquire in advance at the Embassy of the United States in Bern about the exact entry, stay, and other requirements. Violations may result in deportation, arrest, detention, and/or a fine.”
SBB to operate 400 extra trains for the UEFA Women’s Euro
Around 700,000 spectators are expected to watch the live matches from July 2nd to July 27th.
As they will take place at stadiums in eight cities, Switzerland’s national railway company SBB will deploy 400 trains to bring fans to Basel, Bern, Geneva, Lucerne, Sion, St. Gallen, Thun, and Zurich.
“With a match ticket, spectators will travel to and from the stadiums free of charge on match days using public transport within Switzerland,” the SBB announced on Monday.
The timetable will be coordinated accordingly.
For instance, fans at games in Geneva can still reach Bern, Biel, Olten (sometimes with connecting trains to Basel and Lucerne) as well as Zurich and Winterthur at night thanks to these special trains. And at games in Basel, fans can still get to Lausanne, Geneva, Bern, Lucerne, Zurich HB, and St. Gallen late at night.
If the game goes into overtime or a penalty shootout, all scheduled special trains will wait and depart 40 to 60 minutes later than scheduled, the SBB said.
Regular trains and standard connections, however, will not wait. “SBB can only guarantee return travel at night to destinations served by the special trains,” the company said.
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Religious beliefs and church attendance continue to wane in Switzerland
According to a study released by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) on Monday, Switzerland is seeing a steady decline in religious affiliation.
The share of the population that practises a religion has also continued to fall.
In particular, attendance of religious events and church services has decreased significantly compared with 20 years ago, the FSO found.
Also, fewer people believe in God, even among those with a religious affiliation.
However, religion and spirituality continue to play a role for most people in times of personal hardship.
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These tram lines will be suspended in Geneva this summer
Maintenance work has forced the Geneva Public Transport (TPG) company to suspend two tram lines.
From June 28th at 4 am until August 18th at 3:59 am, tram lines 12 and 18 will not operate between the “Genève, Plainpalais” stop and the “Lancy-Bachet, gare” (line 12) and “Grand-Lancy, Palettes” (line 18), according to the TPG’s press release on Monday.
The TPG is implementing alternative solutions, which are explained on its website.
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