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Zurich trams set for delays from Friday morning on

Travellers on most Zurich tram lines can expect delays from Friday morning on after a potential problem was spotted with the city's fleet of Cobra trams.

Published: 21 March 2019 18:51 CET

Zurich trams set for delays from Friday morning on

All of Zurich's 88 Cobra trams are to be inspected over the coming days.

The delays are scheduled to affect travel from ten days from early Friday morning.

They come after a problem with the steering mechanism of one of Zurich’s Cobra trams was identified while it was in the depot.

In a statement, the Zurich VBZ transport authority said in the worst-case scenario, the problem could lead to the trams derailing.

Read also: All holders of Swiss half fare travelcard to get 15 francs credit

Now, as a safety precaution, all of the city’s 88 Cobra trams will now checked.

During the inspection process, the Cobra trams will also be forced to drive more slowly than usual. Their maximum speed will be reduced from 60kph to 42kph. At crossings and switch points, the maximum speed will be 12kph.

The VBZ said it was aware this would lead to longer journey times, delays and missed connections.

Tram lines 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 13 and 17 will be directly affected by the reduced speeds as theses lines are serviced by Cobras.

Lines 7, 10, 11, 12 and 14 will see fewer low-floor trams running than usual.

Tram lines 8, 9, 10, 12 and 15 will not be affected.

The full impact of the inspection works is not yet known.

Read also: Zurich unveils new trams (using cool life-size model made entirely of wood)

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1-2-3 Ticket: Austria's nationwide unlimited rail pass available from October

A person boards a subway train in the Austrian city of Vienna. Photo by Samuel-Elias Nadler on Unsplash

Austria’s much awaited ‘1-2-3 Ticket’ – which gives unlimited travel across the entire country – will be valid for travel from Austrian National Day on October 26th onwards.

The idea behind the 1-2-3 ticket is that Austrian residents can choose to pay one euro per day for unlimited public transport in their own state, two euros per day for travel in two neighbouring states or three euros per day to travel throughout Austria.

The ticket has been renamed the Klimaticket – meaning climate ticket – to highlight the positive environmental outcomes associated with rail travel.

The ticket has been repeatedly delayed due to disputes over costs and the suitability of particular routes, however these look now to be settled.

The official announcement was made on Wednesday, with Austria’s Kronen Zeitung newspaper saying Austria chipped in an additional 100 million euros to make the project work.

How much will it cost?

The ticket for the whole of Austria – including all nine states – will cost 1095 euros per year, although it will go on sale for an introductory price of 949 euros annually from October 1st.

Senior citizens and people under the age of 26 will only have to pay 821 euros per year – or 699 euros if they buy the ticket before October 26th.

For those who want to travel through two states, it will cost 730 euros, while travel through one state will be 365 euros annually.

The 365 euro ticket has been in place for some time in the state of Vienna and has won International acclaim.

READ MORE: What is the 1-2-3-ticket? Everything you need to know about the new ticket planned to give unlimited public transport across Austria

Which types of travel are included – and which states are part of the plan?

When it is launched, the ticket will be valid for all types of travel in Upper Austria, Salzburg, Styria, Carinthia, Tyrol and Vorarlberg, including buses, trains, long-distance trains (i.e. ÖBB) and trams.

Three eastern states – Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland – are however still holding out on the project.

As it stands, ÖBB travel in these states as well as bus travel and S-Bahn services will be included in the ticket, along with travel on services operated by Wiener Linien.

Other forms of regional and local transport will not be included in these three states.

Transport Minister Leonore Gewessler said she was confident the other three states would sign up.

“We’ll make it there as well, I’m certain” she said.

“You really get a hell of a lot for your money.”

Why are these three states holding out?

Broadcaster ORF says the fact that no solution has yet been found is also due to the resistance of the federal state of Burgenland.

The complaint relates to the fact that the ticket would dramatically increase the cost of travelling from Burgenland to Vienna, which is a relatively common commuter trip.

As travelling from Burgenland to Vienna involves crossing Lower Austria, the price of a season ticket from Neudörfl to Vienna, for example, which currently costs 730 euros, would increase to 1,095 euros per year under the new scheme.

An estimated 25,000 people commute regularly from Burgenland to Vienna, based on pre-pandemic numbers.

Transport authorities are pushing for Lower Austria and Burgenland to be treated as one state for the purposes of the pass, Der Standard reports, thereby allowing for a reduction in the cost for commuters.

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