Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) has temporarily withdrawn its Stadler EC250 ‘Giruno’ high-speed sets from the international Basel–Hamburg service after on-board diagnostics flagged repeated traction and door-control anomalies. The decision, taken on 31 December, means that German operator Deutsche Bahn will revert to older Siemens Velaro stock for at least two weeks while Stadler engineers implement a software patch and inspect coupler assemblies.
The Giruno—marketed as SBB’s showpiece for 250 km/h cross-border connections—entered commercial service in 2019 but has been dogged by teething problems on Germany’s ETCS signalling overlay. According to SBB, the latest incidents do not pose safety risks, yet cumulative service disruptions exceeded the internal tolerance threshold set for the busy New-Year travel window. Eight of the 19-strong Giruno fleet are affected.
For international passengers planning onward travel beyond Switzerland or Germany—particularly non-EU citizens who may need transit or short-stay visas—the documentation can be just as critical as a reliable train. VisaHQ’s online platform (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) provides quick eligibility checks and end-to-end application support for Schengen visas and other travel documents, helping travellers stay on schedule while SBB and Stadler work to restore the Giruno fleet.
![Technical faults sideline SBB’s flagship Giruno—Siemens sets pulled in on Basel–Hamburg corridor]()
From a mobility perspective, the substitution matters. Velaro sets offer 140 fewer seats and lack the low-floor boarding that makes the Giruno attractive for travellers with reduced mobility and cyclists. Preliminary timetables show a five-minute increase in end-to-end journey times and the removal of the family compartment coach until the Giruno returns.
Business travellers who favour the early-morning Basel-Hamburg run—popular with pharmaceutical and logistics executives—are advised to reserve seats in advance and factor in the slimmer first-class section on the replacement trains. SBB said existing seat reservations will be honoured as far as possible; those who cannot be accommodated may request refunds or rebooking via the SBB Mobile app.
Stadler Rail’s share price dipped 1.2 percent on the SIX exchange after the news broke, reflecting investor concerns about warranty costs. The manufacturer said it is deploying a field-support team to Basel and expects to validate fixes in mid-January. SBB emphasised that all domestic Giruno services through the Gotthard Base Tunnel are operating normally.
The Giruno—marketed as SBB’s showpiece for 250 km/h cross-border connections—entered commercial service in 2019 but has been dogged by teething problems on Germany’s ETCS signalling overlay. According to SBB, the latest incidents do not pose safety risks, yet cumulative service disruptions exceeded the internal tolerance threshold set for the busy New-Year travel window. Eight of the 19-strong Giruno fleet are affected.
For international passengers planning onward travel beyond Switzerland or Germany—particularly non-EU citizens who may need transit or short-stay visas—the documentation can be just as critical as a reliable train. VisaHQ’s online platform (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) provides quick eligibility checks and end-to-end application support for Schengen visas and other travel documents, helping travellers stay on schedule while SBB and Stadler work to restore the Giruno fleet.
From a mobility perspective, the substitution matters. Velaro sets offer 140 fewer seats and lack the low-floor boarding that makes the Giruno attractive for travellers with reduced mobility and cyclists. Preliminary timetables show a five-minute increase in end-to-end journey times and the removal of the family compartment coach until the Giruno returns.
Business travellers who favour the early-morning Basel-Hamburg run—popular with pharmaceutical and logistics executives—are advised to reserve seats in advance and factor in the slimmer first-class section on the replacement trains. SBB said existing seat reservations will be honoured as far as possible; those who cannot be accommodated may request refunds or rebooking via the SBB Mobile app.
Stadler Rail’s share price dipped 1.2 percent on the SIX exchange after the news broke, reflecting investor concerns about warranty costs. The manufacturer said it is deploying a field-support team to Basel and expects to validate fixes in mid-January. SBB emphasised that all domestic Giruno services through the Gotthard Base Tunnel are operating normally.
