Zurich Transport Association (ZVV), the largest in Switzerland, is examining whether a nighttime service during the week would be feasible in the future.
The company is responsible for all public transport services not only in the canton of Zurich, but also in neighbouring communities of Aargau and St. Gallen.
The idea of the extended service was first raised at a mobility conference in Lucerne, where Christian Vogt, ZVV’s head of Transport Planning, spoke about the possibility of a nighttime network during the week.
Estimating the demand
The question, as reported by Swiss media, is whether the potential is large enough.
To estimate the demand, the ZVV looked at traffic volumes on the roads.
According to Vogt, “far fewer people” are on the road during the week than on weekends. Compared to Saturday nights, for instance, the number is 25 to 30 percent. However, “that’s a number where we can consider doing something,” he noted.
On weekend nights, about 80 percent of users of the ZVV night trains and night buses are leisure travelers, while the rest are people on their way to or from work. With a night service during the week, the proportion of working people is likely to be higher.
Vogt also pointed out that a 24-hour operation is advantageous because it makes public transport more attractive in general. If commuters know that it’s always available, it could encourage some of them to leave their cars at home.
The ZVV night network is currently used by approximately 30,000 passengers per night. It operates from Friday to Saturday, from Saturday to Sunday, and on the nights before public holidays.
Between 2019 and 2023, commuter figures increased by around 60 percent, which is likely due not only to the expansion of services but also to the scrapping of the 5-franc night surcharge that was in effect previously.
According to Vogt, this will result in more journeys being made by public transport, especially for shorter distances within the city of Zurich.
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Other points to consider
The question of which lines could be extended during the week also remains open.
For the time being, the idea of the night network is “being continuously reviewed and expanded where market opportunities exist,” said ZVV spokesperson Lucia Frei.
