I mean if I compare 2019 to 2022 -my train stop specifically- I could always sit regardless of when I took the train (morning, afternoon, evening). It was always possible to sit. Now in 2023 it is sometimes impossible to sit in the morning and it's not even possible to board sometimes as there are too many people. Just saying things are changing really fast.

First class in not always a good solution, on some journeys first class is even more crowded than 2nd class (Zurich - Bern typically).

And driving, well I hate driving in Switzerland and we are encouraged to stop driving so would be counterproductive in my opinion.

https://www.watson.ch/schweiz/zürich...en-60er-jahren

Seems like last time Zurich had so many people was in 1962.

https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/busines...-mark/48173988

And we're about to hit the 9 million mark so I am not delirious, the number of people in this country is growing very quickly.

Tom

Or bike

That's not the point and how do you know I am an immigrant. I could be a Swiss born abroad. Anyway that's not the point.

I do feel that wherever you're living, the country should make sure that there are enough public transports available, enough housing etc. Switzerland was amazing in the past but now standards are rapidly falling and my Swiss friends and expats I know who have been here for years are saying exactly the same.

What I see now is the country wants to keep bringing new people but without enough housing, with less and less reliable trains etc. It's sad to witness this change, that's all.

Actually: no it is not. 15 years ago did I commute from Zurich to Bern for some years... and got a 1st class GA to do so. During peak hours is 1st class on the main routes more overcrowded than 2nd. (Because the main employers in Bern are the government, the SBB, Swisscom and Post... all of which hand out 1st class GAs like candy to their people...)

I dont know how many times I sit in second instead and only had a seat because I made sure I arrived at ZH HB at least 10 mins before the train left. So: not exactly a new problem...

1. Name a country with a better public transport system in Europe.
2. There is plenty of housing... its just not affordable to many. Rich people therefore live in bigger and bigger flats while working class people are pushed out into the suburbs. All of that is in plain sight and based on democratically legitimized laws... what exactly do you want to change?

Well well I am in the right section to complain I think? There's objectively nothing to complain about when you live in Switzerland compared to someone who lives in a third-world country and struggles to access clean water. Obviously as a spoiled self-entitled brat who lives in Switzerland I have other problems which I wanted to share here

Overall SBB customer satisfaction has remained fairly consistent since 2017, even trending slightly upwards...

2017: 72.75
2018: 73.43
2019: 74.25
2020: 73.99
2021: 75.28

What a load of garbage!

Tom

I didn't say Switerzerland's system was bad compared to other countries. I just say it's not as good as it used to be which is an entirely different story.

And re 2) I completely disagree. Of course I can find housing in the middle of nowhere but the truth is if I want to live in Geneva or Zurich, it's almost impossible to find a place, regardless of how much I am willing to pay.

https://ethz.ch/en/news-and-events/e...e-exactly.html

https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/society...xodus/44374532

https://www.iamexpat.ch/housing/real...over-next-year

https://www.thelocal.ch/20221028/swi...-rents-in-2023

The harsh reality is that for many of us, income (from a job) has more or less plateaued. Things change, it's natural, it's economic disruption. Some idiotic kids are earning 2x as me and they're pushing the rents up in the desirable areas....so, time to take a good look at the mirror and ask oneself about keeping in the never ending rat race of city life or look for alternatives.

All that before retirement income hit and inflation. If someone wants to stay in a desirable area in a city, better buy or accept that it will not last forever. Someone else will earn more and rent will go up.

Total BS, as it is certainly far better than ever!

Tom

Maybe in Ticino. But in big cities and suburbs it's never been this bad.

That’s really not true - how long have you lived here? And perhaps you missed this post:

https://www.englishforum.ch/3457820-post28.html

I’ve lived in Zurich since 1986, and there are always many more people at the usual commuting and / or shopping times on the streets.
The trick, as others have mentioned, is to work your way around them if you can. Because their are far more “quiet” times.

None of that is news... you had the exact same headlines a decade ago... or two. I first arrived in 2002 and it's always the same story. People expect to get a place in Seefeld for 2k and are surprised that whenever something comes on the market the queues are long and the landlord magically rather picks the local guy who is a much more stable pick than a freshly arrived expat.

Yeah, but that didn't happen in the last 3-4 years...and you wouldn't be here if this country wasn't highly successful and capable of attracting business and foreign workers.
I didn't notice a decline in living standards and I'm here for quite a long time.

And have the best railway service in Europe.

Birth rate around 1.45 https://www.statista.com/statistics/...and-1850-2020/

meaning without immigration ultimately you would get your space on the train, however there would only be one train a day, if your lucky.

Every country needs immigration of people able to work as the local birth rates in Europe are too low. The reality is we should be getting the bunting out that Switzerland still attracts people.

If no one wanted to come to switzerland, then we'd be in real trouble.

There is some bitching about the same problem here in the Fatherland. Trains being overfilled. Not quite Indian and Japanese levels of overfilling but slowly getting there.
Seems that the Deutsche Bahn did the sums and came to the conclusion that as most people work from home these days, the trains don´t need to have that many carriages. Probably the same in CH as well. Just that the suits havn´t cottoned on to the reality that workin from home as a trend is over.

Only if idiots start posting fake news that foments civil unrest.