Switzerland’s first lake steamer back in the 19th century, Europe’s first cableway, and the world’s longest railway tunnel – these are just a few of the feats of engineering that have already contributed to Switzerland’s role as a pioneer in public transportation. The drive to accomplish such pioneering feats has remained – whether on rails, in the air, on the water or on the roads. And the fact that innovative projects in these times of global warming focus on climate-relevant factors makes them doubly important.

Be inspired by our selection of environmentally friendly public transport options that operate all year round.

SBB (شركة السكك الحديدية الاتحادية السويسرية)، أكبر شركة نقل في سويسرا، تُولّد الكهرباء لقطاراتها من الطاقة الكهرومائية - وهذا بمعدل 90%. إن شراء الطاقة للمحطات والمكاتب وكذلك مباني الشركة ومباني الإنتاج هو بالفعل حيادي 100% لغاز ثاني أكسيد الكربون. وبحلول عام 2025، من المقرر أن تأتي جميع الكهرباء من مصادر مُتجددة.

من خلال المشاريع المبتكرة والعديد من تدابير توفير الطاقة، تساهم السكك الحديدية الاتحادية السويسرية(SBB) بشكل كبير في التنقل المستدام في سويسرا - مع "التحكّم الكيفي"، على سبيل المثال، يُطلق عليها أيضاً "الموجة الخضراء". كما يُوفّر النظام توصيات لسائقي القطارات حتى يتمكنوا من تجنب التوقفات غير المخطط لها عند إشارات التوقف والقيادة بطريقة أكثر ملائمة للبيئة. وبالتالي يتمتع المسافرون أيضاً برحلة مريحة جداً.
مزيد من المعلومات

Rhaetian Railway, the operators of the world-famous Bernina Express, attach great importance to the origin of the energy they procure as well as further developments in the area of sustainability. Already since 2013, they have used 100% of hydropower for their locomotives and properties. Their energy requirement on trains and at railway stations is being optimised on an ongoing basis: whether with CO2-minimised external air controls, renewable energy for heating or modern recycling concepts. 

Experiencing Interlaken in no ordinary way: on the e-bus by PostBus, the holiday destination with its many mountains and lakes can be explored in comfort and in an environmentally friendly fasion to boot. In order to charge its battery, the PostBus relies entirely on renewable energy and falls back on the natural resource of hydro-electric power. Another advantage: e-buses produce much less noise. Pure relaxation!

The “Funi” (short for “funicular”) is Switzerland’s last existing water-powered funicular railway and only a few minutes’ walk from the railway station Freiburg. This nostalgic railway has been operating since 1899 – completely without electricity or exhaust fumes. The funicular is not powered by a motor but by residual water from the upper town. It uses filtered waste water from a 3,000-litre tank and thus overcomes 56.4 metres in altitude.

In complete comfort in the middle of Zermatt, you will step onto the railway. The train takes you directly to the Gornergrat with the best view of the Matterhorn. 

The trains of the Gornergrat Railway are equipped with recuperation brakes. Thanks to this special braking system, the motional energy of the train is converted into electrical energy. During the ride back down into the valley, this energy is fed back into the overhead line and can be used for the mountain ride of other trains. With the energy recovery of three descents, up to two ascents can be supplied with energy.  

The certification as the first climate-neutral cableway company in Switzerland in 2018 marks out the many years of efforts taken by Brunni-Bahnen Engelberg to foster a sustainable and careful approach to nature and the environment. Since 2013, for example, all transport facilities have been powered exclusively by CO₂-free hydroelectricity. Thanks to its own solar panels, the cable car company also produces enough electricity to cover 15% of its own electricity needs for the entire year. This is more than enough to produce artificial snow for all the pistes – which means that visitors are enjoying CO₂-free snow throughout the entire area. What’s more, since the Ristis-Brunnihütte chair lift now switches off automatically when no guests are using it, it has been possible to reduce its electricity consumption by 10%.

With the commissioning of Switzerland’s first all-electric motor cruiser Ceresio 1931 in 2021, the Lake Lugano shipping company came a step closer towards realising its goal of fitting all of its 17 boats with electric motors by 2035. Built in 1931, the Ceresio is not only the first fast-charging cruiser powered purely by electricity and free of emissions, but is also the first liner to be used to ferry passengers on a daily basis. The “Green Line” service that was launched at the same time is the first 100% electric line of the City of Lugano, which represents a further milestone for emissions-free navigation in Switzerland.

Since 1887, the funicular has been taking visitors and commuters from Biel/Bienne up to the heights of the Jura Mountains. With the new 42-kilowatt photovoltaic system on the roof of the upper station, it has been producing electricity directly on site since 2019. At the same time, since 2021, an innovative energy management system has made it possible to use the braking energy produced while the funicular is making its descent for the next uphill run. As a result, overall energy costs have been reduced by 30%.

With the climate protection goals of the global community, terms such as electro-mobility have only really gained momentum in recent years. For the world-renowned ski and spa resort of Zermatt, however, electric buses are part of the village landscape – and have been for more than 30 years! In January 1988, an electric low floor bus took guests and locals to Zermatt’s valley stations for the first time. In the meantime, the battery-operated fleet has been expanded to include 10 buses, which operate on two lines at a leisurely 20 kilometres per hour. Green and regional: clean energy from local hydropower sources is used for charging the batteries, and the actual buses are built individually not far from Switzerland (Stuttgart) and in Zermatt itself. Slow traffic – free of emissions and low-noise – is a top priority in car-free Zermatt.

At this point it’s hard to imagine Switzerland’s biggest cities without their trams and trolleybuses. Thanks to them, commuters and visitors can travel to the cities’ transport hubs and sights in comfort and without having to worry about congestion getting in their way. What’s more, these days the majority of trams and trolleybuses are powered by electricity. In Zurich, for example, the majority of passengers travel on public transport that is powered by electricity from renewable energy sources. With the ambitious goal of replacing most of the 150 or so diesel buses that remain with electric buses by 2030, this would save the majority of CO₂ emissions currently emitted in this area. In doing so, Zurich’s local transport companies are making a considerable contribution towards an emission-free and quieter urban environment.