Can the algorithm created by the EPFL team in 2018 be beaten by using natural intelligence to create a better itinerary than the computer-generated one? Christoph Brändle, a retired software engineer, set himself this task. And he was indeed successful, creating a plan with a duration of 16 hours and 18 minutes, that means, 36 minutes less than the EPFL variant:

St-Maurice VS dep 05:25 - IR1804
Genève GE arr 06:55, dep 07:05 - IR90
Renens VD arr 07:37, dep 07:41 - IC5
Neuchâtel NE arr 08:21, dep 08:32 - IR66
Kerzers FR arr 08:49, dep 09:06 - S35
Lyss BE arr 09:26, dep 09:30 - IR65
Biel (BE) arr 09:39, dep 09:48 - IC51
Grenchen Nord SO arr 09:58, dep 09:59 (same train)
Delémont JU arr 10:18, dep 10:23 (same train)
Laufen BL arr 10:34, dep 10:35 (same train)
Basel BS arr 10:55, dep 11:16 - IR27
Zofingen AG arr 11:56, dep 11:58
Luzern LU arr 12:30, dep 12:42 - S5
Hergiswil NW arr 12:53, dep 12:54 (same train)
Alpnachstad OW arr 12:58, dep 12:59 - S5
Luzern (LU) arr 13:16, dep 13:18 - IR75
Arth-Goldau SZ arr 13:45, dep 13:49 - IC2
Altdorf UR arr 14:08, dep 14:08 (same train)
Bellinzona TI arr 14:42, dep 14:47 - EC16
Zug ZG arr 16:00, dep 16:01 (same train)
Zürich ZH arr 16:27, dep 16:43 - S25
Ziegelbrücke SG arr 17:25, dep 17:28 - S17
Mühlehorn GL arr 17:34, dep 17:34
Sargans (SG) arr 17:58, dep 18:03 - IC3
Landquart GR arr 18:11, dep 18:18 - IC908
Sargans (SG) arr 18:27, dep 18:39 - IR13
Heerbrugg (SG) arr 19:06, dep 19:08 - B226/B222
Oberegg AI arr 19:25, dep 19:25 (same bus)
Heiden AR arr 19:35, dep 19:35 (same bus)
Rheineck (SG) arr 19:53, dep 19:56 - S4
St.Gallen St.Fiden (SG) arr 20:16, dep 20:22 - S1
Romanshorn TG arr 20:46, dep 20:48 (same train)
Stein am Rhein SH arr 21:43

It was known that the connections in Alpnachstad and Lucerne were very critical. And there really was an interruption in Lucerne, the train to Arth-Goldau was missed. So the plan had to be changed. Zurich was omitted, Zug was brought forward, and back from Ticino, at Arth-Goldau, the trip went directly via Pfäffikon to Ziegelbrücke, so the original timetable was caught up again.

However, after Stein am Rhein, the canton of ZH still had to be added, and the journey on the lake line was continued to the first Zurich station. Langwiesen was reached at 22:04.

This resulted in a total journey time of 16h39, 21 minutes longer than planned, but the goal was achieved: a new record was set.

More information about this journey on watson.ch.

Radio Télévision Suisse (RTS) asked itself whether it is possible to visit the whole of Switzerland within 24 hours by public transport. Philip Morf, SBB transport planner, drew up a corresponding timetable, which was travelled by journalist Nicolas Rossé. The journey was documented by an RTS camera team. 

Departure: 05:22 Roveredo
Arrival: 00:57 St-Maurice (actually 01:08)
Duration: planned 19 hours 35 minutes (actually 19h46)
Route: Roveredo GR - Bellinzona TI - Göschenen UR - Brunnen SZ - Luzern LU - Sarnen OW - Hergiswil NW - Rotkreuz ZG - Thalwil ZH - Ziegelbrücke GL - Uznach SG - Herisau AR - Jakobsbad AI - Aadorf TG - Schaffhausen SH - Aarau AG - Basel BS - Laufen BL - Delémont JU - Grenchen Nord SO - Biel BE - Kerzers FR - Neuchâtel NE - Genève GE - Lausanne VD - St-Maurice VS.

There was a delay on the last stage (Lausanne - St-Maurice), so that St-Maurice was not reached until 01:08.

Ziegelbrücke station is in the canton of SG, not GL. It is not documented exactly how Nicolas Rossé reached the canton of GL.

Further information about this journey on rts.ch.

A group of scouts from Nyon had a plan to beat Nicolas Rossé's journey time. They had worked out the following itinerary:

Departure: 05:23 St-Maurice
Arrival: 23:54 Airolo
Duration: 18 hours 31 minutes
Route: St-Maurice VS - Lausanne VD - Genève GE - Neuchâtel NE - Kerzers FR - Bern BE - Grenchen Nord SO - Delémont JU - Laufen BL - Basel BS - Aarau AG - Zürich ZH - Schaffhausen SH - Aadorf TG - Wil SG - Appenzell AI - Gais AR - Landquart GR - Mühlehorn GL - Zug ZG - Hergiswil NW - Alpnachstad OW - Luzern LU - Arth-Goldau SZ - Erstfeld UR - Airolo TI.

The execution on 16 May 2016 was successful.
Further information about this journey on YouTube and Facebook.

The opening of the Gotthard Base Tunnel resulted in much faster connections to Ticino, and therefore shorter routes for the whole journey. A group from Ticino set out to set a new record.

Departure: 06:13 Bellinzona
Arrival: 23:32 St-Maurice
Duration: 17 hours 19 minutes
Route: Bellinzona TI - Flüelen UR - Arth-Goldau SZ - Luzern LU - Hergiswil NW - Alpnachstad OW - Zug ZG - Thalwil ZH - Ziegelbrücke SG - Ziegelbrücke Post GL - Landquart GR - Gais AR - Sammelplatz AI - Weinfelden TG - Schaffhausen SH - Rheinfelden AG - Basel BS - Laufen BL - Delémont JU - Grenchen Nord SO - Biel BE - Kerzers FR - Neuchâtel NE - Genève GE - Lausanne VD - St-Maurice VS.

What is special is that this group travelled from Schaffhausen via German territory to Badisch Rheinfelden, and from there to Rheinfelden AG.
Further information about this journey on Facebook.

In a scientific project, a team of students and doctoral candidates at EPF Lausanne had developed an algorithm to create the optimum route by computer-based analysis of timetable data. After 10 hours of program execution, this resulted in the following plan:

Departure: 05:24 St-Maurice
Arrival: 22:18 Jakobsbad
Duration: 16 hours 54 minutes
Route: St-Maurice VS - Lausanne VD - Genève GE - Neuchâtel NE - Kerzers FR - Biel BE - Delémont JU - Basel BS - Liestal BL - Olten SO - Zofingen AG - Luzern LU - Hergiswil NW - Alpnachstad OW - Arth-Goldau SZ - Bellinzona TI - San Vittore GR - Flüelen UR - Zug ZG - Zürich ZH - Frauenfeld TG - Stein a.Rh. SH - Ziegelbrücke (on foot across the Linth) GL - Uznach SG - Herisau AR - Jakobsbad AI.

Unfortunately, the execution did not work. The connecting train in Neuchâtel in the direction of Kerzers was 20 minutes late. As the next connections were therefore also not feasible as planned, it ended up being an hour late, so the previous record could not be broken.
Further information about this journey on epfl.ch and researchgate.net.

During the Corona period, a group of Romands had the plan to beat the previous record of the Ticino team with an itinerary of 16h55. The route was very similar to the (failed) EPFL plan from 2018, with minor adjustments in north-east Switzerland.

Departure: 05:24 St-Maurice
Arrival: 22:19 Jakobsbad
Duration: 16 hours 55 minutes
Route: St-Maurice VS - Lausanne VD - Genève GE - Neuchâtel NE - Kerzers FR - Bern BE - Grenchen Nord SO - Delémont JU - Laufen BL - Basel BS - Zofingen AG - Luzern LU - Hergiswil NW - Alpnachstad OW - Arth-Goldau SZ - Bellinzona TI - San Vittore GR - Flüelen UR - Zug ZG - Zürich ZH - Schaffhausen SH - Schlatt TG - Ziegelbrücke (on foot across the Linth) GL - Uznach SG - Herisau AR - Jakobsbad AI.

Despite coronavirus restrictions, the team was successful.
Further information about this journey on YouTube