On the YB charter train to the cup final SBB handles women's fans differently to men's football
For the Cup final in Winterthur, the YB women are traveling on their own special train for the first time - around 600 fans are already on board. Unlike the men's fan trains, this is a charter train that the club has paid for itself.
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- On Sunday, the YB women's fans will travel to the cup final against Servette in Winterthur on their own special train - a first for women's football in Bern.
- The train with around 800 seats is a charter trip and is not run by SBB as an official fan train.
- Consequence: YB has to cover the costs itself. Fans also pay a contribution for GA tickets, and a sponsor had to be found.
- According to SBB, there have been extra trains for women's football in the past, but they are expecting a peaceful atmosphere and a smooth journey on Sunday.
Sunday is the big game for the YB women: They face Servette in Winterthur in the cup final. For the journey from Bern to the canton of Zurich, the "Yellow and Blacks" are organizing a special train for their fans for the first time - a first in Bernese women's football. The enthusiasm is great: according to YB, over 600 of the 800 seats have already been allocated.
In fan chats, it was quickly claimed that this was the "first ever extra train in women's football". But that's not true - and YB never communicated it that way.
What is correct is that it is the first extra train for the YB women. As SBB confirmed to blue News, there have been special trains for women's matches before - for example at the UEFA Women's EURO 2025 or the 2023 Cup Final for fans of FC St. Gallen.
The fact is, however, that an ordinary single-decker train is used - the same rolling stock as for fan trains in men's football.
YB had to charter a train for women's fans
Nevertheless, SBB does not list this train internally as an official fan train. It confirms that it is a charter train that YB has hired. The campaign was made possible by the club and the financial services provider Yuh, Young Boys' main sponsor. Private sponsorship of such extra trains has so far been unusual in men's football.
Fans with a general season ticket will also notice this: this time the journey is not free for them. They pay five francs - unlike the classic men's fan trains, which are usually included in the normal GA travelcard.
Critics from the women's football scene say that SBB has little interest in introducing regular fan trains in women's football as it does for men. Such trains are offered to clubs free of charge so that larger groups of fans can travel separately from regular trains.
SBB confirms that the YB train is a paid charter. Media spokeswoman Carmen Hefti says: "SBB provides the transport service and receives a corresponding remuneration." She expects Sunday to be calm: "We are assuming a peaceful journey in a good atmosphere." The security measures are the same as for men's matches and will be coordinated with the police.
