Switzerland is famous for precision and punctuality. In fact, a new rule for its rail system puts such a premium on on-time arrival at the end of the line it lets trains skip stations to catch up to its schedule.
That’s right. You’re on time, you’re waiting on the platform, and the train can zip right past you, trying to make up lost time.
The issue arose because of public complaints by passengers in several skipping incidents earlier this year, and it was referred to the Federal Office of Transport, which has now ruled that it was ‘reasonable’ for trains to skip stations to avoid snarling the schedules of other trains. But the FOT did ask the rail operator SBB to use the measure “as sparingly as possible.”
