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3-minute minimum connection time is unreasonable

Dr. Whoopie

Okay, which genius at SBB decided to reduce the minimum time for a legal connection between trains to 3 minutes?

If the trains are not on adjacent tracks (same platform), then this new connection time is not only unreasonable, but also unrealistic.

Supersaver tickets often impose a 3-minute connection time span.

I implore the SBB to return to a 6-minute legal connection time span, effective immediately.

RomanoS

Hello Dr. Whoopie

May I ask you to be more specific, because I can guarantee you, there is a precise logic behind it.
So it depends for which specific station and situation you are talking about.

Furthermore, on SBB.ch and on Mobile App, you can personalize the time that you would like to have for a change.

BR
Romano

Dr. Whoopie

Only valid for: IC719 IR2221
Bern dep 26.02.2026 13:31
St. Gallen arr 26.02.2026 15:52
St. Gallen dep 26.02.2026 15:55
St. Margrethen SG arr 26.02.2026 16:16

St. Gallen, track 1 to track 4 with luggage is impossible.

RomanoS

HI Dr. Whoopie

Many thanks. I agree with you. In this case this can be tight with luggages.
I inform internally.

BR
Romano

Dr. Whoopie

The setting to set the connection time has bern removed from the App.

Dr. Whoopie

So please set the default connection time between trains to 6 minutes.

RolandP

Hello Dr. Whoopie

It was never possible to adjust the MCT in the SBB Mobile iOS app. It is, however, in the Android’s version or when using www.sbb.ch.

Kind regards,
Roland

Krist

Dr. Whoopie So please set the default connection time between trains to 6 minutes.

There has been an other thread were people complained that the MCT is actually to large. Increasing that to 6 minutes will result in you being proposed a Bern st. Margrethen trip that is a lot longer.

Changing from platform 1 to 4 is not an issue, even with luggage. Luggage rolls nowadays. Dragging a suitcase does not slow one down.

Dr. Whoopie

Well that makes about as much sense as a fish riding a bicycle.
The functionality should be present on all versions of the App.

Dr. Whoopie

Krist I made the trip last week. There wasno dragging of suitcase. 2 Elevators were required for the transfer which resulted in insufficient time between connection.

RomanoS

Hi Dr. Whoopie

Can you point me please the transfer that you made on a map and post it here as a screenhots? That would help.

We have long trains in order to give more seat availabilities, so I could imagine, that you went out the train at a inconvenient place… just to give a possible explanation.

But anyway, the internal Team has received the information.
BR
Romano

Krist

st. Gallen also has ramps, so the use of elevators is not compulsory. But anyway, you just boarded the next train I assume, which is also what you would have done had the system been programmed with a longer transfer time.

You could also have taken another combination of trains where you would have had a cross platform connection in Zurich, and a slightly longer one in st. Gallen. Anyway, I thoroughly like the fact that connections are so short in Switzerland. Short connections are a sign of a well run railway.

Dr. Whoopie

Krist Short connections are a sign of lack of understanding for the needs of all passengers.

Dr. Whoopie

Krist I believe from your answers that you are actually an AI bot.

Ex-Bähnler

Dr. Whoopie Short connections are a sign of lack of understanding for the needs of all passengers.

The national timetable is an extremely complex project. A three-minute delay in the departure time of the IR13 in St. Gallen would affect all connections at stops from Rorschach to Chur. And beyond.

The entire timetable is designed so that all trains arrive in Zurich before .00 and depart after .00. If a train arrives in Zurich three minutes late, this will result in several connections being missed. This would extend the journey time of thousands of passengers by a quarter of an hour or more.

The rail network between Bern, Olten, Zurich and St. Gallen is very busy. Not all trains can run (simultaneously) at the most optimal times.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

Ex-Bähnler

Dr. Whoopie

No. Every user in this community is a human being.

Krist

Dr. Whoopie I believe from your answers that you are actually an AI bot.

You’ve just made my weekend :-)

I think that it would indeed be good if the SBB app made it possible to indeed set transfer times higher. DB does this right, in my opinion, giving the option to choose between a later departure and an earlier arrival for each transfer point.

However making longer transfers the default would be a bad idea. Would make lots of people unhappy, and actually reduce the usefulness of the system. And it is not as big a problem as you think as most people are not travelling with a lot of luggage, and anyway, if you miss a connection you just take the next one…