During the Corona pandemic, the number of passengers carrying bicycles rose sharply. The railways are still feeling the effects of this today. “The proportion of e-bikes in particular has increased significantly,” said Zentralbahn AG in response to a request from PilatusToday and Tele 1. And these are precisely the ones that pose a major problem, because: “These bicycles are particularly heavy and sometimes cannot be hung in the designated racks.”
The railways have therefore already reacted in some cases. The SBB, for example, has already expanded in recent years and is planning up to 500 additional bicycle spaces for the next few years. The majority of these are to be built in the single-storey Intercity control cars, the SBB said in response to a query.
Engelberg and Entlebuch are hotspots
In central Switzerland, bicycle spaces on trains are in high demand, especially in summer. “Engelberg is a particularly popular destination,” explains Zentralbahn AG. It sometimes happens that not everyone can make it onto the train with their bicycles. “However, the online timetable indicates the limited capacity,” explains Zentralbahn AG. So you won’t be left standing at the station out of nowhere.
The situation is similar at BLS. Demand for popular destinations is high, especially on weekends, but it is very rare for all bike spaces to be occupied, says BLS AG. Popular destinations include the connections to the Bernese Oberland, Valais, Emmental, Entlebuch or Seeland. This also includes the route to Marbach, where there is a popular bike park.
Additional staff and luggage compartments for bicycles at SBB
On the other hand, demand is “very high” at SBB. On weekends and public holidays, SBB even opens the luggage compartments for self-loading bicycles. “On these days, additional SBB employees are on duty to help customers load and unload their bicycles,” SBB said in response to a request.
