Chur (Chur)

This guide to using Chur station points out what to look out for if you will be changing trains in Chur, connecting to the ski resorts, or heading to the city centre.

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Looking towards what WAS the main station building on the right Looking towards what WAS the main station building on the right,
The older part of the station now houses a  cafe and a hair salon The older part of the station now houses a cafe and a hair salon
The ticket office is also in this passage way The ticket office is also in this passage way
These stairs and escalators up to the Bahnhofplatz lead to the city centre These stairs and escalators up to the Bahnhofplatz lead to the city centre
You don't have to use the stairs to access the trains, ramps are available You don't have to use the stairs to access the trains, ramps are available
Chur station as approached from the town centre - you can use these escalators to avoid the train tracks Chur station as approached from the town centre - you can use these escalators to avoid the train tracks

The main access to/from the trains at Chur train station is typical of many major Swiss stations.
A wide passage way runs beneath the railway lines and both slopes and stairs link the gleis (platforms/tracks) - where most the trains arrive/depart, with this passage way.
Note that you don’t have to use the stairs to access the passage way, there will be a slope/ramp providing step free access, but you may have to walk passed the stairs to find it.

However, there are no lifts or escalators, which link this passage to and from the gleis (platforms/tracks).

At the end of this passage way is the main ticket office, the SBB Reisezentrum.
At Chur this SBB ticket and reservations office also sells tickets for the RhB trains.
Note that if you will be taking a train from Chur, that the main ticket office is at this lower level.

By the ticket office are escalators, an elevator and stairs that link the passage way to a street level exit, but this is mainly used as the route to track 2, which is used by the trains to Arosa.
And when a train to Arosa is in the station it will in effect, block the route to the bus stops and the town

So if you are heading to/from the town centre or taxi rank, use the escalators, farther ahead at the far end of the passage way, which point the way to Bahnhofplatz, there are also elevators up to street level over to the left.

So when heading into the station from the town centre, you can also use these elevators, which are to the right of the escalators (that have the map of Switzerland above them).

The alternative step-free exit:

There are escalators and lifts that connect the platforms/tracks/gleis in the main station to the Post-Bus terminal which is located above the train station.
When arriving by train from destinations to the north including Buchs and Zurich, these escalators/lifts will be towards the front of the train.

This Post-Bus terminal also has lifts and escalators that connect it to the street below, go to the left as you enter the bus station.

So if you want/need to use the escalators or lifts, then accessing the trains/street via the Post-Bus terminal is an alternative to using the main passage way at the station.
This street entrance from the Post-Bus terminal is on the far end of the station area; so using the passage beneath the tracks is a more direct route to the town centre.

Train service summary

When the usual train timetable is available, the typical pattern of train service from Chur is:

  • 1 or 2 x IC trains per hour to Zurich HB; some of which continue on to Basel
  • up to 3 x ICE trains per day to Zurich HB - Basel - Freiburg (Breisgau) - Baden Baden - Karlsruhe - Frankfurt (Main) - Kassel - Hannover - Hamburg
  • 1 x IR train per hour to Thalwill (connect for Lucerne) - Zurich HB - Olten - Bern
  • 1 x IR train to Buchs (connect with Railjet trains to Austria) - St. Margrethen - Rorschach - St Gallen - Winterthur - Zurich Airport - Zurich HB
  • up to 2 x IC trains per day to Zurich - Olten - Bern - Fribourg - Lausanne - Geneva - Geneva Airport (weekends only)
  • 1 x Rhb train per hour to Filisur (connect for Davos) - Samedan (connect for Pontresina) - St Moritz
  • 1 x Rhb train per hour to Arosa
  • 1 x Rhb per hour to Disentis/Mustér (connect for Andermatt)
  • 2 x Glacier Express trains per day to Disentis/Mustér - Andermatt - Brig - Zermatt
  • 2 x Bernina Express trains per day to Pontresina - Alp Grüm - Poschiavo - Tirano

By RhB Train towards Disentis, St Moritz and Scuol-Tarasp from Chur

Cross platform interchange between RhB trains and SBB trains Cross platform interchange between RhB trains and SBB trains

The RhB (Rhaetian Bahn) trains between Chur and Disentis, Klosters, Scuol-Tarasp and St Moritz all depart from/arrive the main part of Chur station.

The express trains from Zurich tend to arrive at gleis (platform/track) 9, while the RhB trains towards St Moritz use gleis (platform/track) 10 - so usually all you have to do is cross the platform from one side to another, when making this transfer.
The Glacier and Bernina Express trains both also usually depart from gleis (platform/track)10.

Something to watch out for is that Glacier Express coaches can be joined to ordinary RhB trains heading to St Moritz.
So if you see a Glacier Express waiting to depart, but you don’t have Glacier Express tickets, you may have to walk along the gleis (platform/track) to find the ordinary coaches.

The Rhb trains to/from Disentis and Klosters tend to depart from arrive at gleis (platform/track) 11 and 12, so you will need to access the passage beneath the tracks, to make this connection.

By RhB Train from Chur towards Arosa:

The train to Arosa awaits departure from track 2 The train to Arosa awaits departure from track 2

The RhB trains to Arosa depart from gleis (platform/track) 2, which is located on the Bahnhofplatz, the square in front of the station - they use what will look like tram tracks.

To access these trains when arriving at Chur on SBB trains, the steps to take are:
(1) Descend from the gleis (platform/track), that you will have arrived at in the main station, down to the passage way that runs beneath the railway lines.
(2) Then ascend from this passage way into the main station hall at street level - the trains to Arosa depart from the street outside this main hall.

Don't use the escalators that will be directly ahead of you, they lead to the town centre, instead follow the signs pointing the way to the Arosa trains on track 2
The stairs are the most obvious route, but there is an elevator available.

So don’t be surprised on exiting Chur station to see a full size train on the road in front of you.
It’s why when heading to the town centre or taxi ranks, using the escalators at the far end of the passage way is the best option - as this route takes you under these railway tracks on the station forecourt.

By Bus to Flims and Laax from Chur Station

Take the escalator or elevator up to the Post Bus terminal Take the escalator or elevator up to the Post Bus terminal
The very smart bus station, the black boxes show you where to wait for each route The very smart bus station, the black boxes show you where to wait for each route
Train departure details are shown in the bus station Train departure details are shown in the bus station

The ski resorts at Flims and Laxx can be reached from Chur station on Post Bus route 81 - the stop at 'Flims Dorf, Bergbahnen' is by the cable car station which gives access to the Laax-Flims-Falera ski runs.
The bus journey to Flims Dorf takes 34 min and Laax is 10-12 mins further on.

SBB will sell tickets for end-2-end journeys which include the train to Chur and the Post Bus to Flims or Laax.

The Post Buses depart/from arrive at their own dedicated bus station, which is above the platforms/tracks/gleis in the main part of Chur station.
This bus station is linked to these platforms/tracks/gleis by escalators and lifts.

If you arrive by SBB train it’s likely that these escalators and lifts will be towards the front of the train.
You will have have to walk past the escalator to access the lift.

Transferring to Local Buses at Chur Station

Tracks 1 and 2 for Arosa on the left, local bus stands on the right Tracks 1 and 2 for Arosa on the left, local bus stands on the right

The local buses to other parts of the town and the surrounding areas, depart from stops at the opposite side of the Bahnhofplatz to the Arosa line railway tracks.
They don't leave from the Post Bus station that is above the train station.

So if you will be taking a local bus, there are two routes to the bus stands from the main passage away beneath the railway lines

(1) Follow the signs to track 1 (used by some of the trains to Arosa), on the left is a ramp and to the right there are stairs.

(2) Use the escalator at the far end of the passageway beneath the track, then from this Bahnhof platz exit, turn to the right to access the bus stands, they will be behind you,

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Journeys

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Journeys to Chur
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Basel / Bâle to Chur by train
Bern to Chur by train
Frankfurt to Chur by train
Genève / Geneva to Chur by train
Hamburg to Chur by train
Milano / Milan / Mailand to Chur by train
Zürich / Zurich to Chur by train
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This second version of ShowMeTheJourney is exciting and new, so we are genuinely thrilled that you are here and reading this, but we also need your help.

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