I saw this information while booking tickets today, so I thought i'd share it with the forum.

From the 11th of December 2011, you will have to buy your train ticket before boarding (i guess most people do so anyways) if you do not want to be fined 90+ CHF. There was some talk about this in the newspapers a while ago.

In anycase more information is available here
http://www.sbb.ch/abos-billette/bill...ttpflicht.html

Thanks. Does anyone know whether this excludes the possibility of buying a ticket once you're on the train using the SBB mobile app?

Presumably as long as you buy it before a controller arrives you are ok otherwise no.

As long as you buy it before the train leaves, you will be okay.

There is a time on the e-ticket

I think you need to have bought the ticket before you board the train or when the train pull out of the departing station. They sometimes ask you where you board..

Thanks for the info... good to know!

Yea, the trick is that with the mobile app you could actually try to buy the ticket only if you see the controller coming, and then buy the ticket from a closer station :P

I won't do that if I were you.. if you cannot complete the transaction in time, you will be fined and it will go on your record. That is not worth a few FR that you are saving!

There is a time on the ticket so the inspector would know when it has been bought.

And wouldn't that only help if you're crossing zones? A 1-zone ticket is a 1-zone ticket, regardless of where you start in the zone? Same for 2-zone, and so on?

If I get a neuchatel to Zurich train which leaves at 11.37am and my ticket was bought at 12am then the ticket inspector will know it was bought after the train departed.

Right. My point was you're taking a risk, and not really saving much money by waiting to buy the fare at the last minute.

I'm not taking any risk. I buy my tickets well in advance

No, you're not taking a risk as such - you're taking a definite loss. If your ticket is marked as being sold after the departure of the train from the stop it is not valid - exactly the same as travelling without a ticket at all.

This has already happened to a friend of mine who started buying the ticket well before the train left, but due to weak signal the transaction only completed one minute after the train departed. It took a huge amount of confrontation and argument to get out of the fine, and it was made clear that there would be no exceptions after December 11th.

I happened to check that a few days ago. The Terms and Conditions clearly state that the ticket must be purchased before the departure of the train according to the timetable (the ticket carries the timestamp of when the ticket was purchased).

So.. the rationale for this is a) reducing conductor costs and b) weeding out anyone avoiding ticket fees by buying by mobile in case of an inspection?

I was going to moan about getting hit with this charge crowning some miserable days spent juggling luggage and running to connections, but looks like conductors are allowed to use their judgement and charge 10 CHF in case of travelers. So it sort of makes sense.

Except for the Irrfahrt part. When can I claim I'm on an odyssey?
//a

Many were caught today, even on slower trains like the S8 in Zürich. There was a big force of at least 8 Kontrolles, plain clothed, who suddenly got up and enforced ticket checks, and netted several.

Those caught bought the Anschluss tickets, monthly tickets etc. - good revenue for SBB.

I should have asked him ( the Kontrolle ) if he had a ticket for his SBB bag.