TRAIN BROKEDOWN

cemreizm

11th august was the most terrible day of my life because of the SBB Train experince! It was my second day in Zurich, i got a train at 08.39 goes to airport. But it broke down in 3 minutes we stucked at the tunnel for 1 hours! Noone informed us how many time it would take. Doors couldn’t open, i couldn’t take air and breathe!

In addition to my nervousness to catch my flight to my hometown Turkey at 10.25, my claustrophobia attack started because we were trapped in the train. I couldn’t find even water for 1 hour! The machinist left the train, the conductor went into her cabin and locked the doors.

After a hour the train turned back to station to it’s platform 34. We all got the train next closest time to airport. It set of 10 minutes late without any information too and one stop later they announced the route is changed and won’t go to the airport! It was not a joke.

I got new other train, it arrived to the airport at 10.21. My first sbb train was supposed to arrive at 08.51! I missed my flight which departes at 10.25 and arrives to İzmir at 13.20. There was no other direct flight to Izmir, and i had other flight at 12th august at 10.45 a.m to Milan from Izmir. I terribly found just connecting flight (which is soonest one) and i arrived izmir after 12 hours! I couldnt do my important duty at Izmir that i have to do at 11th august!

Moreover, the claustrophobic attack and having to run between trains and at the airport resulted in me being out of breath several times.

Eventhough when we were stuck at breakdown train, i asked the conductor to notify airlines she did not care it. I’ve never been in such a primitive situation before neither in Turkey nor in Europe. What will SBB do, which has negative effects on my health, body, psychology and economy due to its broken and unsystematic trains?

RolandP

Hello cemreizm

Thanks for your message and sharing your unfortunate experience.

Please kindly note that we are the SBB Community, a customer support forum run by volunteers; we are not the SBB Customer Service.

If you were looking for an official response from SBB, please reach out to them using this form:

https://www.sbb.ch/en/help-and-contact/customer-service/praise-comments/reklamation.html

To request a delay compensation and your rights as a passenger, see:
https://www.sbb.ch/en/help-and-contact/refunds-compensation/refunds-compensation/compensation-for-delays.html

_The public transport companies are not required to compensate any extra expenses, for example for a missed flight, since a ticket guarantees the transportation from A to B on the day of validity, only. In that regard, the transportation contract was fullfilled.

Having worked at the airport for many years, I can tell you that a notification to the airline is only done for travel groups as nowadays airlines do not care about single passengers not showing up and, with their tight schedules, they often cannot wait anyway.

Kind regards,
Roland

cemreizm

Thank you for answer, already i am not asking for “obligations”, i am asking for empathy.

Which century are we in? Is there still train breakdowns, not informations, delay of other trains, changing routes when we are in… Moreover they locked me in the train for 1hour! They didnt open doors, they didnt do any explanations, i did not understand anything! They didnt give even a glass of water! I am really shocked. Now they will say just “we did not quarantee”.. ?? I dont talk about missing flight i am talking about this terrible experience, i could even die by my claustrophobic attack and this stress. I am a doctor and i know.

I wrote here because you know how is SBB general vision and maybe you can show a path. I clicked the link, it asks what my train service is. Which one i should choose for the trains from zurich hb station to the airport? BLS, ZVV, SOB etc?

RolandP

Hello cemreizm

That’s why I encouraged you to share your experience and expectations with the officials, the SBB Customer Service. The customer service has access to the detailed event log, so they can explain to you why decisions were taken that way and not the other way.
When a train is rerouted, for example due to a shortage of available tracks, that’s the decision of the rail network management.

Also, we were not present on the train, therefore we cannot judge on the train crew’s performance. All I can tell you is that, what concerns the customer information in case of an incident, clear procedures do exist, also in the event that the reason for the sudden stop is not immediately known. Again, share your experience and expectations with the officials.

Opening doors in a tunnel is never going to happen, for safety reasons. People would start to smoke or even get off the train, and put themselves in danger. Also, the distribution of water is only possible if there was a restaurant car and enough water available.

Here we do show empathy, by helping you find the correct contact forms to address your concerns. There is not more we can do, unfortunately.

What was the departure time of the train that that you were taking?

Kind regards,
Roland

cemreizm

Of course just opening the door is not safety, if we’re talking about a doghouse.. In this case you can lock them in a cabin without any inform like how many minutes or hours they will be locked in there. (still you have to provide them water) But we are human wants to get somewhere maybe for really urgent cases. Obviously we are in the train which arrives to airport. If you dont have capable of fixing technic problems for about 2 hours, you have to provide fast and safety way to passengers. So this could be solved by having a guard open the doors and get people back on their way in safe.There should be safety path for people too in tunnels. Also if you have possibility to lock people for hours (even if you cant estimate how many hours would be), It is necessary to have urgent needs such as water in cars. You dont know how people reacts in these situations.

This wasnt only. One train was brokendown and stucked for 1hour, other train set off like 10 15 minutes after its departure time and changed its route after 1 stop later. What is that?

Even if they could inform about delay times and changed routes when we got out from broken train, i could get bus or taxi to solve the problem by myself. But they couldnt even give any info. The chains of the railway’s amateurism…

I was in Milano on a government assignment with graycolor passaport, but i had to be in Turkey at 11th august then in Milano again at 12th august for my duty, but i couldnt do it. I need document indicating that there were disruptions, delays and route changes in switzerland railways and they banned me to do my work.
I took flights and trains in almost every country, it was the first i experienced terribly. I dont ask for money i dont need, my government pays my tickets, flights and otels, im just wondering how switzerland reacts, how will they compensate for what I have experienced? Surely it can be problems everywhere normally, but the point is the solution approches.

Anyway, thank you. I dont have any problem with you sure, i see that you are trying to help me thanks so much. Already i dont want you to judge anyone or anything. I am just writing my horrible experience with details and in all aspects. In this way your offers can change and I can protect some people from the problems I experienced by making them cautious about the railway.

The train (direction st. Gallen) departed at 08.39 from Zurich Hb to the airport supposed to arrive at 08.51. It is platform was 34. So could you tell me which company it is, i can fill the correct form in the link that you send.

RedBaron

cemreizm
08:39 is the IC1, ususally a => FV-Dosto, therefore definitely SBB (not ZVV)

BTW, just to put things in perspective:
For about 20 years I’ve been commuting about 3x per week both ways through that tunnel or an alternate tunnel furher south (not via Airport).
Just with those >5000 commute train rides, I’ve never experienced any train breakdown causing it to stop in the middle of the track, let alone a tunnel.
Technical issues do occur occasionally (broken coach doors (sensors!) are a “favorite”, or the train requires to be “rebooted”), but those usually do happen while the train is waiting at the station and just cause some 5-10 minute delay.
In other words - you were just very unlucky! 🙁