Paying more for shorter travel with the same train

lxpro

When I buy one way ticket to Luzern from Cham, the minimum price is 4.90 CHF.
When I buy one way ticket to Luzern from Hünenberg Zythus, the price is 5.20 CHF.

The problem is that the second travel is one stop shorter, than the first one. It is the same S1 train, which stops first in Cham, then in Hünenberg Zythus. Yes, the second travel is only 1 minute shorter, but still - why the price is higher?

RolandP

Hello lxpro

Well spotted and a well-justified question. This is due to different tariffs.

Luzern to Cham is an SBB national point-to-point ticket, it allows one-way travel on the day of validity until the next day at 5:00 AM from Luzern to Cham. You are allowed to take intermediate stops yet no back-tracking. It is valid for the train only. The price is calculated based on the total of kilometres required for the ride.
Luzern to Hünenberg Zythus is a Passpartout ticket, the Lucerne’s fare network. Hünenberg Zythus is at the outermost periphery of the Passepartout tariff fare network. Although you buy a point-to-point ticket, it allows travelling forth and back at will within the ticket’s validity (2 hours) and zones 10, 28, 38. You can take any service such as bus and trains.
Is there an SBB point-to-point ticket as well, to save costs as you do not need so much flexibility? No, for travel within a fare network, you can only buy fare network tickets. However, if you need a point-to-point ticket for one-way travel, you are welcome to buy a ticket to Cham and alight in Hünenberg Zythus.

You can find the Passepartout fare network map here (in German): Liniennetz | Gesamtgebiet Passepartout

Best regards,
Roland