Glitches hit train tickets

Passengers on Swiss Federal Railways are running into a problem when buying tickets with the mobile app.

The rules are strict – tickets can only be purchased before the train departs. However, some stations have poor mobile phone reception and sometimes the system takes a few moments to process the purchase. 

Many have been told they have to pay a CHF 90 fine if they bought their tickets too late. 

The transport ombudsman says he comes across the issue often. 

The consumer protection organization, the SKS, is also aware. A spokeswoman says that for reasons of economy ‘we digitize as much as possible, and then apply it in a customer unfriendly way.’

For the same reasons, Deutsche Bahn in Germany allow 10 minutes after the train has departed. 

 

 

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