Switzerland’s public transport system operates on a simple rule: passengers must hold a valid ticket before their train, tram or bus starts moving. Buying one on a smartphone even a few seconds after departure can result in a fine.
The rule is enforced strictly. Ticket inspectors carry out regular checks and anyone travelling without a valid ticket faces a penalty. Repeat offenders receive progressively larger fines and are recorded in a national database of fare evaders.
The policy can catch out passengers unfamiliar with Swiss public transport who board at the last moment. Someone who jumps onto a train just before the doors close and buys a ticket on their phone as the train pulls away is still deemed to be travelling without a valid ticket.
Some have argued that the system should allow a short grace period. Hans Höhener, the public transport ombudsman and a former PLR/FDP member of the Council of States, has described the issue as a recurring source of complaints. According to Blick, he has urged transport operators to allow passengers between 30 seconds and one minute after departure to purchase a ticket using a smartphone.
Helmut Eichhorn, director of the SwissPass Alliance, which represents around 250 public transport operators and oversees the national fare system, rejects the idea. Speaking to RTS, he said the rule is straightforward: passengers must possess a valid ticket when the vehicle begins moving. There will be no grace period.
Mr Eichhorn argues that the strict rule is the price of maintaining one of Switzerland’s greatest transport advantages: an open, barrier-free network. Unlike many rail systems abroad, passengers can board trains, trams and buses without first passing through ticket gates. In countries such as France and Britain, by contrast, travellers often have to scan a ticket or card before reaching the platform.
According to Mr Eichhorn, such openness requires a single, consistent rule that applies across every mode of transport. The same ticketing system covers everything from city trams and buses to suburban trains, intercity services and lake ferries. Introducing exceptions based on how or when a ticket is purchased would make the system more complex and harder to enforce.
The central database is intended to record habitual fare evasion. Because Switzerland relies largely on trust rather than physical barriers, transport operators say they need to identify passengers who repeatedly travel without a valid ticket. First-time offenders receive a lower penalty than those with previous infringements.
For passengers rushing to catch a Swiss train, the safest option is to buy a ticket before reaching the platform—or simply wait for the next service, particularly if they already have a record of travelling without a valid ticket.
More on this:
RTS article (in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now
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