Swiss Railways plummets in trains league table after The Independent’s investigation
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Exclusive: Campaign group halved ticket prices in Switzerland and multiplied some Avanti West Coast fares by four. Swiss Railways has dropped from second place in Europe to 11th in a rail survey after The Independent revealed the research was profoundly flawed.
Given the high fares on Swiss Railways, such as £72 for the 130-mile journey from Geneva to Basel, the result was surprising. The Independent analysed the data and discovered the Transport and Environment researchers had halved the real cost of journeys in Switzerland.
Fares quoted during online searches for Swiss Railways journeys assume the traveller has a half-fare rail card – price £170. Many visitors do not have such a card, and therefore pay double the “locals’ price”. The campaign group recalculated the ratings. As a result, SBB dropped nine places to 11th. For fares alone, Swiss Railways is third from bottom of the 27 operators surveyed. Only Eurostar and Great Western Railway are rated as more expensive.
Another UK operator, Avanti West Coast, has leapfrogged SBB for fares after The Independent pointed out some ticket prices had been inflated 338 per cent by Transport and Environment researchers. For some Avanti West Coast journeys between London and Milton Keynes, the £17.10 fare for the 50-mile trip, the researchers insisted the fare was £74.90.
