Feb 11, 2026, 10:27Feb 11, 2026, 10:27
The SBB is making headlines in France these days. The reason for this is a fine – correctly called a surcharge – which they imposed on the family of a Crans-Montana victim.
An SBB surcharge is making headlines in France.Image: keystone
How RTL writes, the father and sister wanted to travel to Germany on January 13th to visit the seriously injured young woman in the intensive care unit in the hospital. The car is said to have broken down near Basel. So the family changed means of transport and took the train – but without a valid ticket.
When an inspector came, the family explained the situation to him. Nevertheless, he imposed a fine of 351 francs on the two family members. The relatives then complained to the SBB legal department, which rejected the application but granted a discount of 40 francs.
The lack of goodwill causes trouble for the family’s lawyer. The SBB had shown a “lack of compassion in the face of the terrible tragedy that has struck them,” said lawyer Christophe de Galembert to RTL. He is now not only demanding that the sentence be lifted, but also that travel vouchers be issued to the family until the daughter leaves the hospital.
With SBB, a valid ticket is mandatory when starting your journey. As it says on the homepage, there is scope for a certain amount of goodwill, but the respective transport company decides downstream.
In the case of the family of the Crans Montana victim, the SBB wrote, according to RTL, that they understood the desire for a gesture of solidarity and that the family was now disappointed. Nevertheless, “despite the emotions that this event evokes,” we want to maintain our “right to equal treatment with other people and families affected by other tragedies.” (dab)