From the new timetable on 11.12.11 the night surcharge has been simplified in the Zürich area. Instead of a ticket for each Kanton there is a single ticket for 9 verbunds (ZVV, A-Welle (Aargau), FlexTax (Schaffhausen), Ostwind (St Gallen, Thurgau, Appenzells), Zug, Schwyz and the night trains between Luzern and Zürich and Singen (DE) and Schaffhausen)

The nachtzuschlag will cost 5 SFr for all the areas rather than the current system where you pay 5 SFr for each tariff union. So if you live in, say Baden, you pay 5 SFr not 5 SFr to Zürich then 5 SFr to the RVBW to get home.

http://www.zvv.ch/de/fahrplan/nachtnetz/index.html

The ZVVNZ SMS to 988 still works.

Just had a text from the ZVV. From the 11th you just type NZ not ZVVNZ.

cheers Rob, thanks for that useful info, will save me quite a lot!

Yup Yup. Got the same text. Thanks for the info Rob.