Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) confirmed on 17 November 2025 that its pilot night-train service between Bern and Winterthur—via Zurich Airport—will become a regular feature of the 2026 timetable. Two InterRegio Night (IRN1) trains in each direction will run every Friday and Saturday night, departing Winterthur at 01:40 and 03:40 and Bern at 03:00 and 04:32. The schedule is designed to connect with first-wave departures from Zurich Airport, getting passengers to the terminal by 04:16.
The decision follows successful test weekends in spring and autumn, when load factors reached 68 percent and customer surveys showed strong demand from leisure travellers and early-morning flyers. By targeting both demographics, SBB hopes to relieve pressure on motorway traffic and reduce the need for expensive airport-area hotels. The trains are standard InterRegio sets, meaning no reservation surcharge and full acceptance of the Swiss Travel Pass—important for inbound tourists.
![SBB Introduces Weekend Night Trains Linking Bern, Zurich and Winterthur to Support Early Flights]()
SBB’s long-term vision is a nationwide weekend night network, with future links envisaged between Zurich and Geneva, Olten and Basel, Lausanne and Sion, and Zurich and Chur. The Bern–Zurich corridor—Switzerland’s busiest—was chosen first because it already carries large numbers of airport-bound passengers and party-goers.
For global-mobility managers the new service offers extra flexibility for assignees and consultants catching early intercontinental flights, potentially trimming hotel nights from travel budgets. Corporate travel teams should update booking tools to display the IRN1 services and remind travellers that the standard half-tax and GA discounts apply. Rail alternatives also help companies progress toward emissions-reduction targets under the Swiss Climate Strategy for Business Travel.
The decision follows successful test weekends in spring and autumn, when load factors reached 68 percent and customer surveys showed strong demand from leisure travellers and early-morning flyers. By targeting both demographics, SBB hopes to relieve pressure on motorway traffic and reduce the need for expensive airport-area hotels. The trains are standard InterRegio sets, meaning no reservation surcharge and full acceptance of the Swiss Travel Pass—important for inbound tourists.
SBB’s long-term vision is a nationwide weekend night network, with future links envisaged between Zurich and Geneva, Olten and Basel, Lausanne and Sion, and Zurich and Chur. The Bern–Zurich corridor—Switzerland’s busiest—was chosen first because it already carries large numbers of airport-bound passengers and party-goers.
For global-mobility managers the new service offers extra flexibility for assignees and consultants catching early intercontinental flights, potentially trimming hotel nights from travel budgets. Corporate travel teams should update booking tools to display the IRN1 services and remind travellers that the standard half-tax and GA discounts apply. Rail alternatives also help companies progress toward emissions-reduction targets under the Swiss Climate Strategy for Business Travel.
