Timetable data – overview

Brief Description

The timetable contains all the information needed to map the (planned) public transport in Switzerland. The timetable contains all the basic information (stops, lines, topology etc.) and all time-relevant information (stops, calendar, journey times etc.) so that all forms of timetable information (for a stop, but also for routing, for example) can be created based on this data.

Data and interfaces

Please note: As the timetable changes every year and we do not want to overload our data platform, you can retrieve the old, archived timetable data here: https://archive.opentransportdata.swiss/

Functional Description

In Switzerland, the Customer Information System Tasks (SKI) is responsible for collecting, consolidating and publishing timetable data in the context of customer information (see https://www.oev-info.ch/). It does this CENTRALLY for public transport THROUGHOUT SWITZERLAND. Here we only describe the most important aspects of a timetable to be able to use our data. Everything else can be found here: https://www.oev-info.ch/fahrplan-aktuell/fahrplanwissen.

The timetable information provided is optimised for customer information and is used for longer-term planning. It covers a timetable year on which the official timetable is also based. There may be updates. These are not planned precisely.

The data provides the most important aspects of a timetable for the current and next (draft) timetable year. In other words, which means of transport and which characteristics run on which days along which routes and at which times. For example, the IC5 train (means of transport and line) on which bicycles are permitted (property) departs from Zürich HB every Monday at 12 noon (when) (where).

The source system for all timetables (and draft timetables) is called INFO+. The lists of means of transport and notes are also defined there.

We offer the timetable data in 3 data formats:

• General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) – an international, simple, open format
• Hafas Raw Data Format (HRDF) – a compact, established, proprietary format
• Network Timetable Exchange (NeTEx) – a European, comprehensive, open format

In the Swiss standard, journeys are identified with the Swiss Journey ID (SJYID). The relevant concepts can be found here öv-info.ch.

In addition to the data for ‘classic public transport,’ we also offer on-demand service planning data (sometimes provided by public transport). On-demand, you can use a journey service ‘on demand’ and share the journey with other passengers if necessary. An example is PubliCar’s door-to-door service in Appenzell, which complements existing public transport.

The data is provided as NeTEx, GTFS and HRDF in the same way as the timetable data.

In addition, we also provide timetable data for:

• Cableways and chairlifts. Note: The timetable data for some cableways and chairlifts is not covered by the current recording structures.
• Long-distance buses.

Explanations of terms

Term	Description
Journey	A journey is the transport of customers along a specific route, a specific timetable connection, with a specific transport journey, at a specific time, in a specific direction. Journeys can be used for planning, forecast and actual data. They also have varying levels of detail depending on the purpose for which the data is being compiled. In the context of open data, we usually refer to a journey description close to customer information (KI). Synonyms: run, course
Journey – Fahrt-ID	Is the identification of a journey. For technical purposes, it consists of the following information: Journey number, concession holder (=responsible) transport company and validity. The reference for a journey.
Journey – Direction	E.g. H (outward) and R (backward). In addition: the geographical definition of the (intermediate) destination of the journey.
Journey – Cancellation	A A cancellation is a failure to carry out a specified journey for a specific validity. Partial cancellations are also possible. Train cancellations may be planned or may only become necessary during the journey.
Journey – Arrangement	In addition to the planned journeys, an additional journey may be arranged. It is therefore a planning measure for confirming and communicating that a prepared journey will be carried out operationally and commercially.
Timetable year	In the public transport sector, timetable years are used. This usually lasts one year and always starts on the Sunday following the second Saturday in December. For this reason, a timetable year is not always of the same length. From a technical point of view, in order to do justice to this variability, it is always assumed to be 400 days for a timetable year, for example in the case of bitwise coding. A timetable year is 52 or 53 weeks long. The list of upcoming timetable changes can be found at öv-info.ch.
Operating day	An operating day is a single day (date) on which a trThe operating day is a single day (date) on which a scheduled journey runs to the first geographical (commercial) point. The number of all operating days within a timetable period corresponds to the transport period of the train.
Annual timetable / standard timetable / basic timetable	These are all synonymous terms used to communicate the stable services on the various journeys.
Period timetable	The period timetable divides the annual timetable into different segments (seasonal and/or per weekday) if the basic service offer is uniformly expanded/diluted. A period timetable is usually not directly related to construction work.

Further information

• Fahrplanfelder | öv-info.ch
• Fahrplanentwurf | öv-info.ch
• Swiss Journey Identification (SJYID)