[Sweyne]

12 January 2020 at 14:35:05 #824862

Hello again all you wonderful people at MySwissAlps. We will be in Switzerland for 11 days in early May. Our 13 year old son (okay and me!) would love to have some trips double decker trains on days when we do not have too much luggage. Does the SBB timetable show which trains are double deckers? Are all IC trains double deckers?

Here is a summary of our routes: Zurich to Thun: Thun to Zermatt; Zermatt to Wengen; Wengen to Luzern and Luzern to Zurich.

Many thanks for any help.

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[Removed user]

12 January 2020 at 18:47:04 #927860

Hello Sweyne,

Thanks for your question!

I think it’s wonderful that you take your son to Switzerland. It will be especially fun to experience the Swiss public trains systems together.

Not all IC trains are double-deckers and the abbreviation “IC” stands for “Intercity,” which is a train service and not a specific type of train.

There are two types of trains that are now used by Swiss national rail operator – SBB, on its IC routes and services which are double decker trains:
(1) Double deck IC 2000 trains – these are the older double deck trains which are now being modernised. These IC 2000 double deck trains operate on these routes:

• IC 1: St Gallen – Winterthur – Zurich Flughafen – Zurich HB – Bern – Fribourg – Lausanne – Geneve – Aeroport (on this route the new LD/Twindexx trains will gradually replace these IC 2000 trains)
• IC 6: Basel – Olten – Bern – Thun – Spiez – Visp – Brig
• IC 8: Romanshorn – Winterthur – Zurich Flughafen – Zurich HB – Olten – Bern – Thun – Spiez – Visp – Brig
• IC 61: Basel – Olten – Bern – Thun – Spiez – Interlaken West – Interlaken Ost (some departures)

(2) New double deck LD/Twindexx trains, which are gradually replacing the IC 2000 trains. These new LD/Twindexx trains are gradually being introduced on these routes:

• IC 1: St Gallen – Winterthur – Zurich Flughafen – Zurich HB – Bern – Fribourg – Lausanne – Geneve – Aeroport (a few departures)
• IC 3: Basel – Zurich HB – Landquart – Chur (some departures)

Please refer to the SBB train timetable and download the app on your smart phone so you may travel with ease:

• http://www.myswissalps.com/timetable
• http://www.myswissalps.com/aboutswitzerland/practical/websites

While you are in Lucerne, be sure to visit the Museum of Transport:

• http://www.myswissalps.com/museumoftransport
• http://www.myswissalps.com/museumoftransport/tickets

I hope this helps!

Happy travels,

Suzanne

[Removed user]

13 January 2020 at 1:33:26 #927861

Zurich – Thun trains (route IC8) are all booked double deck IC2000 coaches

Thun – Zermatt. Only Thun – Visp is a mainline route. Some trains will be double deck, some won’t. If you get a route IC8 train it will be double deck as above. Visp – Zermatt is the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn narrow gauge railway. There are no double deckers on narrow gauge!

Zermatt – Wengen:

Only Visp – Spiez and Spiez – Interlaken are main lines. Visp – Spiez double deck on some trains (IC8) as per above, Spiez – Interlaken, some double deck, some not.

Wengen – Luzern

If you are going via Interlaken and Brienz, no double deckers as it is all narrow gauge.

Luzern – Zurich:

Some trains are double deck, some are not.

[Sweyne]

13 January 2020 at 6:51:01 #927862

Many thanks for the information Suzanne and 1960man.

1960man “Zurich – Thun trains (route IC8) are all booked double deck IC2000 coaches.” Does this mean we have to book/reserve seats? Surely not from the airport?

[Removed user]

13 January 2020 at 14:01:09 #927863

Hello Sweyne,

Nice to hear you’re finding answers to your questions here on the forum.

You don’t need reservations for Swiss Trains, with the exception of some labelled “scenic” trains, which are not of relevance for your itinerary.
– http://www.myswissalps.com/train/reservations
– http://www.myswissalps.com/train/practical/howtotravel

You can of course reserve seats if you want to, see here for detail.

Best,
Steph

[Removed user]

13 January 2020 at 23:44:50 #927864

No, ‘booked’ is English railway terminology for the type of traction or passenger vehicles (rolling stock) allocated to operate particular train.

Although it would have been simpler for me to say ‘the IC8 trains are double deck’, I included the word ‘booked’ to avoid being accused of being wrong in the unlikley event that an IC8 train is replaced by alternative rolling stock

By the way here is an IC8 train (picture April 2019)

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