Feb 23, 2026, 1:14 p.mFeb 23, 2026, 1:14 p.m
According to the SBB, the punctuality of the Zurich-Stuttgart intercity connection has improved significantly since the timetable change in December. Commuters between Schaffhausen and Zurich in particular benefit from this.
The new concept was introduced due to delays and train cancellations.Image: KEYSTONE
The concept, introduced in December 2025, will be continued until the next timetable change, as the SBB announced on Monday. SBB and Deutsche Bahn agreed on the new concept after there were numerous delays and train cancellations on the route last year.
This also affected numerous commuters on the Schaffhausen-Zurich route, as the IC connections, together with the SBB’s hourly RegioExpress connection, are intended to ensure the half-hourly service to Zurich.
Fewer direct connections and replacement trains
Since the timetable change, every second train from Stuttgart only runs to Singen D. From there, a scheduled train runs via Schaffhausen to Zurich. In addition, a replacement train runs from Schaffhausen if the through trains from Stuttgart are too late.
According to SBB, the measures have now resulted in average arrival punctuality in Zurich being increased by around 20 percentage points to over 80 percent. The replacement train from Schaffhausen has already been used around 100 times.
Stuttgart-Zurich is not the only cross-border connection on which the SBB has recently had problems with the DB. In Basel, too, the SBB has already cut two DB connections to Switzerland. Because of the notorious delays from Germany, connections from Hamburg and Dortmund have ended in Basel since April 2025. If you want to continue your journey from Germany to Zurich or Interlaken Ost, you have to change to an SBB train. (sda)