Car sharing and public transport

Mobility and SBB – related, but not by marriage

26.01.2026

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Many people think that Mobility and the SBB belong together, which is understandable – after all, we share more than just the colour red. However, we are two independent companies. Find out where we’re similar – and where we’re definitely not.

OK, OK – we get it. For you, Mobility and the SBB simply go together like Tintin and Snowy, like Ursus and Nadeschkin – or like DJ Antoine and hair gel.

We like each other a lot. However, Mobility and SBB are two completely separate companies. So where does this persistent misunderstanding come from? Time for some clarification.


5 reasons why you think Mobility is part of the SBB

  1. We are located in almost every SBB car park. Of our approximately 3’200 vehicles, one third are stationed at railway stations in Switzerland. 

  2. We both see red – if you think of an SBB locomotive, it’s probably a red one. This shows that you’re a child of the 90s who remembers the iconic Re-460 models. At the same time – yes, we did actually drive this type of locomotive before (see picture gallery).

  3. The SwissPass opens our cars. In addition to the app and the Mobility card, you can also use the SwissPass as a car key – and have been able to do so since 2015.

  4. We talk about sustainability, availability and connection solutions: This all sounds suspiciously like public transport, but has been part of the DNA of car sharing, in other words, Mobility, right from the start.

  5. Everything works via app – when was the last time you drew a ticket from the big blue box at the station? It’s been a while, hasn’t it? At Mobility, too, everything now works via app – and the good old on-board computer fades into the background.  

An insight into the partnership

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2018 advertising campaign for business car sharing – with former SBB CEO Andreas Meyer.

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In 2007, the SBB and Mobility celebrated 10 years of collaboration and launched the mobility locomotive.

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Back then, the legendary Mobility Smart cars with the SBB logo were also on the road.

Seite 226_SBB und Mobility

Similar so far – but now come the differences:

5 reasons why you’re completely wrong

  1. Train drivers? Wrong. With us, you have to drive yourself. You’re guaranteed to reach the right destination with a Mobility car.

  2. SBB is a state-owned company, while we are a cooperative – the Swiss Federal Railways are wholly owned by the federal government. Mobility is owned by around 76’000 cooperative members – and you too, if you want to.

  3. It’s not us who wear SBB red, its their locomotives that are painted Mobility red. Our story began in Stans NW in 1987 with the AutoTeilet cooperative. A few pioneers and idealists shared a car. More specifically, a bright red Opel Kadett,. even before the red locomotives.

  4. With us, you’re not looking for free compartments, you’re looking for the right car – from large vans and sleek convertibles to small electric speedsters – Mobility offers the right vehicle for every occasion.

  5. Our timetable is called “Whenever you want”: No last-minute platform changes, no breakdowns, no overcrowded compartments. You couldn’t ask for more flexibility.

And yet, it’s not quite that simple.

5 reasons why you’re not quite wrong

  1. We love collaborations with the SBB (as they do with us): This is probably best illustrated by the picture from 2018 – our iconic Smart, the legendary SBB logo – and at the heart of it was Andreas Meyer, the CEO back then. Voilà!

  2. We complement each other perfectly. With the SBB, you can take your bike – with us, you can take your sofa. And anyway, combined mobility is just great.

  3. More of us means less of the rest – more Mobility and SBB means less traffic on the roads. On average, one Mobility vehicle replaces 18 privately owned cars. In practice, what this means can be seen in Zurich, for example.

  4. We both believe that sharing is the future. We just take it a little bit more literally .

  5. We both tell stories about being on the road – SBB with announcements, us with microphones in the car. In our podcast “abgfahre“ people from Switzerland chat in the passenger seat about travel, encounters and moments that bring people together.

So maybe it’s not so bad if you think Mobility and the SBB simply go together like Asterix and Obelix, like bacon and eggs – or like DJ Antoine and… you get it.

Ultimately, we’re just a strong duo that keeps Switzerland moving.