SBB to operate more south-bound trains Easter weekend; Positive feedback from first cannabis test project; Switzerland breaks record for world's largest raclette

News for 8 April 2025

Ticino is traditionally one of the most popular travel destinations over the Easter holidays. To accommodate the expected increase in passengers, the national rail company SBB is significantly expanding its service on the Gotthard axis. Between Thursday April 17th and Easter Monday April 21st, a total of 20 special trains will run between German-speaking Switzerland and Ticino.

International connections, such as EuroCity trains to Italy, will also benefit from increased capacity: a total of around 64,000 additional seats will be available over the holidays.

They will include two additional TILO-RE80 trains, which will operate from Lugano to Milano Centrale on Good Friday. These trains will travel via Mendrisio in Ticino, with stops in Varese, Gallarate, and Rho Fiera on the Italian side.

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The "Weed Care" study, a pilot project for the controlled cannabis distribution, was launched Basel-City in 2023. The outcome of the project has been positive, according to the canton’s Health Department. For the first, none of the study participants reported that neither the number of days of consumption nor the amount of cannabis consumed has increased, despite legal availability.

Furthermore, the Health Department reported that "the study shows positive effects on the mental health of the participants." For the duration of the study, “addictive behaviour, as well as depressive and anxiety symptoms, have decreased.” These findings, together with the results of other pilot projects currently underway in Switzerland, “will provide a sound basis for responsible cannabis policy,” the Health Department said.

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Some 4,893  people who gathered in Martigny (VS) on Saturday evening for what was advertised as “the largest raclette in the world," took the coveted  record away from France. "We didn't just break a record, we celebrated a vibrant culture and the richness of our region." said Samuel Bonvin, the event’s director, referring to the raceltte’s birthplace, the canton of Valais.

The previous record was set in Saint-Étienne, France, on March 22nd, 2025, when the event brought together 2,522 people. "We can't leave this record to the French," Bonvin said, pointing out that the French record, was achieved with pre-cut slices of cheese, while the Swiss used the traditional method of scraping the cheese wheel.