Switzerland’s annual rail timetable change—effective 14 December and highlighted in a release on 15 December—delivers the biggest shake-up in a decade to international and regional services. The headline act is a daily direct ICE service from Brig in canton Valais to Mannheim, Frankfurt and Berlin, eliminating transfers for German holiday-makers bound for Zermatt and strengthening north-south labour mobility.
Infrastructure upgrades enable several other cross-border gains: the Geneva–Basel corridor via Lausanne, Biel and Delémont has reopened after double-tracking, while BLS now runs hourly Basel–Biel trains that dovetail with InterCity connections. French-speaking Vaud receives extra RER capacity to meet booming commuter demand, and the Jura sees through-running trains from Delémont to Bonfol for the first time.
![New Swiss Rail Timetable Adds Brig–Berlin Direct ICE and Other Cross-Border Links]()
For passengers keen to take advantage of these enhanced rail links, VisaHQ can smooth the administrative side of international travel. Whether you’re a German skier heading to Zermatt or a Swiss professional riding the new ICE to Berlin, the platform (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) provides up-to-date entry requirements, fast visa processing and passport renewal services—ensuring paperwork doesn’t slow you down while the trains speed up.
Domestically, completion of the CHF 1 billion Basel–Olten four-track upgrade allows quarter-hourly S-Bahn frequencies—hailed by SBB as its most significant north-west Swiss expansion in 20 years. Zurich’s tram network, by contrast, faces a year-long rerouting as the historic Bahnhofquai hub undergoes disability-access renovations.
For corporate mobility teams the new timetable reduces car dependency on congested motorways and shortens door-to-door times between business hubs. HR departments servicing German expatriates in Valais can now tout a one-seat ride to Berlin, while travel-booking tools need updating to reflect new routings and frequencies.
Infrastructure upgrades enable several other cross-border gains: the Geneva–Basel corridor via Lausanne, Biel and Delémont has reopened after double-tracking, while BLS now runs hourly Basel–Biel trains that dovetail with InterCity connections. French-speaking Vaud receives extra RER capacity to meet booming commuter demand, and the Jura sees through-running trains from Delémont to Bonfol for the first time.
For passengers keen to take advantage of these enhanced rail links, VisaHQ can smooth the administrative side of international travel. Whether you’re a German skier heading to Zermatt or a Swiss professional riding the new ICE to Berlin, the platform (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) provides up-to-date entry requirements, fast visa processing and passport renewal services—ensuring paperwork doesn’t slow you down while the trains speed up.
Domestically, completion of the CHF 1 billion Basel–Olten four-track upgrade allows quarter-hourly S-Bahn frequencies—hailed by SBB as its most significant north-west Swiss expansion in 20 years. Zurich’s tram network, by contrast, faces a year-long rerouting as the historic Bahnhofquai hub undergoes disability-access renovations.
For corporate mobility teams the new timetable reduces car dependency on congested motorways and shortens door-to-door times between business hubs. HR departments servicing German expatriates in Valais can now tout a one-seat ride to Berlin, while travel-booking tools need updating to reflect new routings and frequencies.
