SBB IC (Intercity) trains connect the major cities including Zurich, Geneva, Bern, Basel, Lausanne, Lucerne, and St Gallen at top speeds of 200 km/h on the improved main lines. ICN (Intercity Neigezug) trains use tilting technology to negotiate the curves of the older Jura mountain crossings at higher speeds. The Zurich to Geneva journey takes approximately 2 hours 40 minutes, Zurich to Bern 57 minutes, and Zurich to Basel under exactly 55 minutes on express services. International EC (Eurocity) trains connect Switzerland to Munich, Milan, Paris, Frankfurt, and Vienna without changing trains.
The RhB Rhaetian Railway in Graubunden is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (Albula/Bernina railways designation since 2008), operating two spectacular mountain lines: the Albula Line from Chur to St Moritz through the Landwasser Viaduct and the Albula Tunnel, and the Bernina Line from St Moritz to Tirano in Italy at 2,253 metres above sea level, the highest mainline railway crossing in the Alps. The Glacier Express tourist train uses the Rhaetian Railway tracks between St Moritz and the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn junction at Disentis, continuing to Zermatt.
The Swiss Travel Pass (Swisstravelpass.com) is the most popular ticketing option for foreign visitors, providing unlimited travel on SBB, most private railways, lake steamers, and postal buses for 3, 4, 6, 8, or 15 consecutive days. It includes the Glacier Express and Bernina Express without additional seat reservation fees (though reservations are mandatory in summer and strongly recommended otherwise). The Half Fare Card provides 50 percent off almost all Swiss public transport fares for a year and pays for itself quickly for frequent travellers.