When the Swiss public sector wakes up From 0 to 6488 in four hours

On Monday, March 2, 2026, the Swiss public transport network came alive in a visual spectacle, showing how many journeys were made across the country within four hours. The data revealed a total of 6,488 individual trips, each represented with precision based on real-time schedules and route geometry. This visualization, created using the official GTFS schedule data from the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB), captured the entire public transport system of Switzerland on a single day. The dataset includes approximately 215,000 separate trips and over 1.7 million segments of routes, animated to reflect actual movement patterns. Each vehicle moves along its exact route, defined by GPS coordinates known as “shapes,” which divide the path into small sections. These sections are assigned specific time windows according to the timetable, allowing for proportional interpolation. For instance, a train departing at 8:00 AM and arriving at 9:00 AM would appear halfway through its journey after 30 minutes. In cases where route geometry is missing, approximately 4,500 out of 1.75 million segments, a direct line between stations is used instead. The visualization also included international connections beyond Switzerland’s borders. The dataset intentionally covers a geographic area spanning latitudes 43–52° North and longitudes 3–17° East, roughly encompassing northern Italy, southern Germany, France, and Austria. Any segment whose endpoints fall within this rectangle is displayed. As a result, cross-border lines such as Basel, Freiburg or Geneva, Lyon are shown in their visible portions. Additionally, some international routes listed in the SBB schedule pass through this region, even though they do not serve Switzerland directly. While the dataset primarily reflects the Swiss public transport network, several elements are excluded. Foreign transportation companies not integrated into the Swiss timetable are largely absent. Also omitted are demand-responsive services such as call-buses and taxis, as well as private courier services. Furthermore, scheduled trips affected by exceptions on March 2, 2026—including roadworks or special timetables, are not included. All times are based on planned arrival and departure times rather than real-time updates, meaning delays or current conditions are not reflected. This representation offers insight into the ideal operation of a weekday in early spring 2026, highlighting the efficiency and scale of Switzerland’s public transport system. It serves as a detailed snapshot of how trains, buses, and other modes of transit function under normal circumstances, providing a comprehensive overview of the country's mobility infrastructure. The animation, while informative, does not account for disruptions or variations in service that might occur during actual operations.