Rail transport in Switzerland
Encyclopedia
The railways of Switzerland
include and narrow gauge (usually , occasionally less).
(Data 2004, Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications)
Switzerland is a member of the International Union of Railways
(UIC). The UIC Country Code
for Switzerland is 85.
and the Bern railway station.
via the Gotthard tunnel
(Lugano to Zurich line) and the Simplon tunnel (Domodossola to Lausanne-Bern-Geneva line).
(Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon
) is the other main company, with 10% of the standard gauge
network. It manages the other major Alpine route Bern-Brig via the Lötschberg
tunnel and connection at Brig with SBB's Simplon
tunnel to Italy.
national railway company Deutsche Bahn
(DB) operates some trains to Switzerland but does not own any track in Switzerland except some lines from the German border to Basel Badischer Bahnhof
station, which is also operated by DB, and an east-west line in the Canton of Schaffhausen
.
The Rhaetian Railway
(RhB) is the longest metre gauge
railway in Switzerland, linking Disentis, Davos
and St. Moritz
in the high Alps with Chur
, a rail junction with the SBB. It passes through the upper Rhine Valley and several side valleys, as well as the Engadin
, the upper valley of the Inn River. The Bernina Pass
is the highest point on this line, at 2253 m. Total length: 366 kilometres.
The Furka-Oberalp-Bahn
(FO) is a metre gauge
railway in the high southern alps. Its name refers to two passes, the Furka Pass
and the Oberalp Pass
. The Furka pass lies at the upper end of the Rhone valley. The Oberalppass is the highest point on this line at 2033 metres, and lies at the upper end of the Rhine valley. The total length of the railway is 100 kilometres, and the line runs from Disentis to Brig
. Brig is a rail junction with the SBB and BLS and sits at the north end of the Simplon tunnel on the Milan to Lausanne SBB line and Milan to Bern BLS line.
The Brig-Visp-Zermatt
(BVZ) railway, commonly known as the BVZ Zermatt-Bahn, is a short line between Brig
and Zermatt
. It passes through the Visp
and Matt Valleys, tributaries of the Rhone River
. Total length: 43 kilometres.
In 2003, the FO and BVZ merged to form the Matterhorn-Gotthard-Bahn
.
The Glacier Express
runs on the combined three line route St. Moritz-Chur-Disentis-Andermatt-Brig-Visp-Zermatt. A one-day trip in panoramic-view cars takes tourists from St. Moritz to Zermatt through some of the most spectacular scenery of the Alps.
climbs for 9 kilometres from an elevation of 1600 metres near the Zermatt station of the Zermatt RR to a 3000-metre high-end station on the shoulder of the Monte Rosa Mountain. The entire route is a rack-and-pinion railway
.
The Berner Oberland Bahn is a 24-kilometre line from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen
and Grindelwald
. It begins at Interlaken Ost station and divides at Zweiluetschinen, about 10 kilometres south of Interlaken. The western branch leads to Lauterbrunnen, while the eastern branch leads to Grindelwald. It is possible to make a loop by taking the Lauterbrunnen branch and returning via the Grindelwald branch. The two branches are connected by the Wengernalp Bahn.
The Wengernalpbahn
is a 19-kilometre line from Lauterbrunnen
to Grindelwald
, leading over the Eiger ridge at the junction station of Kleine Scheidegg
. In the winter, this junction is a ski resort served by many lifts and trails, as well as the rail line. Skiers can ride the train from the valleys below to return to the top of the runs.
The Jungfraubahn
, which is also rack-and-pinion throughout, starts at Kleine Scheidegg and runs 9 kilometres through tunnels in the Eiger
and Mönch
, leading to the "Jungfraujoch," a saddle between the Mönch and the Jungfrau
summits. At the saddle are a visitor center and an observatory. The Aletsch Glacier
, largest in Europe, runs to the south toward the Rhone
valley.
The Bergbahn Lauterbrunnen-Mürren
(BLM) is 6 km long, divided into two independent parts, the first part being a cable car (which runs above the old funicular
railway, which was replaced in 2006), the second adhesion
railway.
The Martigny–Châtelard railway is 19 km long, with one rack railway section, in the canton of Valais.
It connects into the Saint-Gervais–Vallorcine railway in France, the joint services being marketed as
Mont-Blanc Express.
The Montreux-Oberland Bernois
line runs 75 kilometres from Montreux
on Lake Geneva
to Zweisimmen
, with a connecting line to Lenk
in the Simmental
. The section from Montreux to Zweisimmen, approximately 63 kilometres long, is part of the "Golden Pass Panorama" trip from Montreux to Lucerne, a trip which combines rides on the MOB, the BLS and the Brünig lines.
From Interlaken
, the narrow-gauge Brünigbahn
section of the Zentralbahn
runs 74 kilometres further to Lucerne
. It skirts Lake Brienz
and passes through the range of mountains to the north of the lake via Brünig pass, and then drops into the Sarner Aa valley to Lucerne.
At Brienz
the Brienz Rothorn Bahn
(BRB), a steam-hauled rack railway
, ascends to near the summit of the Brienzer Rothorn.
all metre gauge
. The Chemin de fer Bex–Villars–Bretaye (BVB)
in Bex
is more of a mixed interuban light rail line connected to a rack railway
but it does have some street running portions, particularly in Bex where the BVB operates along the right of way of a tramway system originally built in the 1890s.
parts of Switzerland the frequent town to and from city commuter service
known as the S-Bahn
in Germany or S-Linien in Switzerland has been built in several cities such
as the Zürich S-Bahn
and the Basel Regional S-Bahn
. In french speaking
portions of the country
the service may be known as Réseau Express Régional
such as in the Léman RER
.
to Baden
in 1847. By 1860 railways connected western and northeastern Switzerland. The first Alpine railway to be opened under the Gotthard Pass in 1882. A second alpine line was opened under the Simplon Pass
in 1906.
In 1901 the major railways were nationalised to form Swiss Federal Railways. During the first half of the twentieth century they were electrified and slowly upgraded. After the Second World War rail rapidly lost its share of the rail market to road transport as car ownership rose and more roads were built. From 1970 the Federal Government has become more involved in upgrading the railways, especially in urban areas and on trunk routes under the Rail 2000
project. In addition, two major trans-alpine routes—the Gotthard Railway and the Lötschberg
approach to the Simplon Tunnel
—are being rebuilt under the AlpTransit
project.
Although both Austria and Germany use the same voltage as Switzerland, only specially adapted trains are able to run to and from those two countries, because narrower pantographs
are used in Switzerland.
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
include and narrow gauge (usually , occasionally less).
- Network size: 5,063 km1 E6 mTo help compare different orders of magnitude this page lists lengths starting at 106 m .Distances shorter than 106 metres-Conversions:1 megametre is equal to:* 1 E+6 m * approximately 621.37 miles...
- standard gauge: 3652 km (2,269 mi), of which 3641 km (2,262 mi) is electrified.
- narrow gauge: 1383 km (859 mi), of which 1353 km (841 mi) is electrified. Mostly metre gauge, some gauge and one line (WaldenburgerbahnWaldenburgerbahnThe Waldenburgerbahn is a narrow-gauge light rail system in the canton of Basel-Country. The long single-track line runs from Liestal, the capital of the canton, to Waldenburg, with stops in Bad Bubendorf, Höstein, Niederdorf, and Oberdorf. The line is operated by Waldenburgerbahn AG. It...
, 13 km or 8 mi) gauge. - street tramways: almost all metre gauge.
(Data 2004, Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications)
Switzerland is a member of the International Union of Railways
International Union of Railways
The UIC , or International Union of Railways, is an international rail transport industry body.- Brief history :The railways of Europe originated as separate concerns. There were many border changes after World War I and the Treaty of Versailles. Colonial railways were the responsibility of the...
(UIC). The UIC Country Code
UIC Country Code
The UIC Country Code is a two digit number used to identify member countries of the International Union of Railways . The UIC has issued numbering systems for rolling stock and train stations that both contain the UIC Country Code. The values are defined in UIC leaflet 920-14.-Table of Codes:-...
for Switzerland is 85.
Standard-gauge lines
Three quarters of the Swiss rail network is at standard gauge, comprising 3,652 km, administered mostly by two companies. Important railway stations are the Zürich Hauptbahnhof, the Basel SBB railway stationBasel SBB railway station
Basel SBB is the central railway station in the city of Basel in Switzerland. Trains run by the Swiss Federal Railways to destinations within Switzerland use this station, as well as Deutsche Bahn Intercity-Express trains to Germany as well as Zürich and Interlaken...
and the Bern railway station.
Swiss Federal Railways
SBB-CFF-FFS (Swiss Federal Railways) is the largest railway company in Switzerland and handles the majority of national and international traffic. It operates the main east-west track in the central valley area and the north-south routes through the AlpsSwiss Alps
The Swiss Alps are the portion of the Alps mountain range that lies within Switzerland. Because of their central position within the entire Alpine range, they are also known as the Central Alps....
via the Gotthard tunnel
Gotthard Rail Tunnel
The Gotthard Rail Tunnel, is a 15-kilometre long railway tunnel and forms the summit of the Gotthard Railway in Switzerland. It connects Göschenen with Airolo and was the first tunnel through the Gotthard massif...
(Lugano to Zurich line) and the Simplon tunnel (Domodossola to Lausanne-Bern-Geneva line).
- Total route length: 3,000 km
BLS
BLSBern-Lötschberg-Simplon railway
The Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon railway, known since the merger of the "old" BLS with the Bern-Neuenburg-Bahn , the Gürbetal-Bern-Schwarzenburg-Bahn and the Simmentalbahn in 1997 as the BLS Lötschbergbahn, is a Swiss railway company. It is the largest standard gauge network on the Swiss Railway...
(Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon
Simplon
Simplon is the name of a region in the Alps. It can refer specifically to:* Simplon Pass and Tunnel* Simplon , a former French département corresponding with modern Valais, Switzerland* Simplon, Valais, a Swiss municipality...
) is the other main company, with 10% of the standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
network. It manages the other major Alpine route Bern-Brig via the Lötschberg
Lötschberg Tunnel
The Lötschberg Tunnel is a long railway tunnel on the Lötschberg Line, which connects Spiez and Brig at the northern end of the Simplon Tunnel cutting through the Alps of Switzerland. Its ends are at the towns of Kandersteg in the Canton of Berne and Goppenstein in the Canton of...
tunnel and connection at Brig with SBB's Simplon
Simplon Tunnel
The Simplon Tunnel is an Alpine railway tunnel that connects the Swiss town of Brig with Domodossola in Italy, though its relatively straight trajectory does not run under Simplon Pass itself. It actually consists of two single-track tunnels built nearly 20 years apart...
tunnel to Italy.
- Total route length: 345 km.
Deutsche Bahn
The GermanGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
national railway company Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn AG is the German national railway company, a private joint stock company . Headquartered in Berlin, it came into existence in 1994 as the successor to the former state railways of Germany, the Deutsche Bundesbahn of West Germany and the Deutsche Reichsbahn of East Germany...
(DB) operates some trains to Switzerland but does not own any track in Switzerland except some lines from the German border to Basel Badischer Bahnhof
Basel Badischer Bahnhof
Basel Badischer Bahnhof is a railway station situated in the Swiss city of Basel. Whilst the station is situated on Swiss soil, the platforms and part of the entrance hall are extraterritorial, belonging to Germany, and the station is operated by the German railway company Deutsche Bahn...
station, which is also operated by DB, and an east-west line in the Canton of Schaffhausen
Canton of Schaffhausen
The Canton of is a canton of Switzerland. The principal city and capital of the canton is Schaffhausen.- History:Schaffhausen was a city-state in the Middle Ages, documented to have struck its own coins starting in 1045. It was then known as Villa Scafhusun. Around 1049 Count Eberhard von...
.
RhB, FO, and BVZ
RhB
The Rhaetian Railway is a Swiss transport company, owning the largest network of all the private railways in Switzerland. The company operates most of the railways in the Swiss canton of Graubünden as the Swiss federal railway company SBB-CFF-FFS extend only a few kilometres over the cantonal...
(RhB) is the longest metre gauge
Metre gauge
Metre gauge refers to narrow gauge railways and tramways with a track gauge of . In some African, American and Asian countries it is the main gauge. In Europe it has been used for local railways in France, Germany, and Belgium, most of which were closed down in mid 20th century. Only in Switzerland...
railway in Switzerland, linking Disentis, Davos
Davos
Davos is a municipality in the district of Prättigau/Davos in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. It has a permanent population of 11,248 . Davos is located on the Landwasser River, in the Swiss Alps, between the Plessur and Albula Range...
and St. Moritz
St. Moritz
St. Moritz is a resort town in the Engadine valley in Switzerland. It is a municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden...
in the high Alps with Chur
Chur
Chur or Coire is the capital of the Swiss canton of Graubünden and lies in the northern part of the canton.-History:The name "chur" derives perhaps from the Celtic kora or koria, meaning "tribe", or from the Latin curia....
, a rail junction with the SBB. It passes through the upper Rhine Valley and several side valleys, as well as the Engadin
Engadin
The Engadin or Engadine is a long valley in the Swiss Alps located in the canton of Graubünden in southeast Switzerland. It follows the route of the Inn River from its headwaters at Maloja Pass running northeast until the Inn flows into Austria one hundred kilometers downstream...
, the upper valley of the Inn River. The Bernina Pass
Bernina Pass
The Bernina Pass is a high mountain pass in the Bernina Range of the Alps, in the canton of Graubünden in eastern Switzerland. It connects the famous resort town of St. Moritz in the Engadin valley with the Italian-speaking Val Poschiavo, which ends in the Italian town of Tirano in Valtellina....
is the highest point on this line, at 2253 m. Total length: 366 kilometres.
The Furka-Oberalp-Bahn
Furka-Oberalp-Bahn
The Furka–Oberalp-Bahn is a narrow gauge mountain railway in Switzerland with a gauge of . It runs in the Graubünden, Uri and Canton of Valais. Since January 1, 2003 it is part of the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn when it merged with the BVZ Zermatt-Bahn....
(FO) is a metre gauge
Metre gauge
Metre gauge refers to narrow gauge railways and tramways with a track gauge of . In some African, American and Asian countries it is the main gauge. In Europe it has been used for local railways in France, Germany, and Belgium, most of which were closed down in mid 20th century. Only in Switzerland...
railway in the high southern alps. Its name refers to two passes, the Furka Pass
Furka Pass
Furka Pass is a high mountain pass in the Swiss Alps connecting Gletsch, Valais with Realp, Uri. The Furka-Oberalp-Bahn line through the Furka Tunnel bypasses the pass...
and the Oberalp Pass
Oberalp Pass
Oberalp Pass is a high mountain pass in the Swiss Alps connecting the cantons of Graubünden and Uri between Disentis and Andermatt.-Winter closure:...
. The Furka pass lies at the upper end of the Rhone valley. The Oberalppass is the highest point on this line at 2033 metres, and lies at the upper end of the Rhine valley. The total length of the railway is 100 kilometres, and the line runs from Disentis to Brig
Brig
A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries...
. Brig is a rail junction with the SBB and BLS and sits at the north end of the Simplon tunnel on the Milan to Lausanne SBB line and Milan to Bern BLS line.
BVZ Zermatt-Bahn
The Brig-Visp-Zermatt-Bahn – officially known between 1991 and 2002 as the BVZ Zermatt-Bahn – is a metre gauge railway in the Canton of Valais, Switzerland. Its 44 kilometre long line links the communities of Brig and Visp in the Rhone Valley with Täsch and the car free holiday resort of Zermatt...
(BVZ) railway, commonly known as the BVZ Zermatt-Bahn, is a short line between Brig
Brig, Switzerland
Brig, officially Brig-Glis is a municipality in the district of Brig in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.The current municipality was formed in 1972 through the merger of Brig , Brigerbad and Glis.-History:...
and Zermatt
Zermatt
Zermatt is a municipality in the district of Visp in the German-speaking section of the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It has a population of about 5,800 inhabitants....
. It passes through the Visp
Visp
Visp is the capital of the district of Visp in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.-Geography:Visp has an area, , of . Of this area, 17.0% is used for agricultural purposes, while 59.7% is forested...
and Matt Valleys, tributaries of the Rhone River
Rhône River
The Rhone is one of the major rivers of Europe, rising in Switzerland and running from there through southeastern France. At Arles, near its mouth on the Mediterranean Sea, the river divides into two branches, known as the Great Rhone and the Little Rhone...
. Total length: 43 kilometres.
In 2003, the FO and BVZ merged to form the Matterhorn-Gotthard-Bahn
Matterhorn-Gotthard-Bahn
The Matterhorn-Gotthard-Bahn is a narrow gauge railway in Switzerland. The track width is . It was created in 2003 through an amalgamation of Furka-Oberalp-Bahn and BVZ Zermatt-Bahn . The name comes from the Matterhorn and St...
.
The Glacier Express
Glacier Express
The Glacier Express is an express train connecting railway stations of the two major mountain resorts of St. Moritz and Zermatt in the Swiss Alps. The train is operated jointly by the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn and Rhaetian Railway...
runs on the combined three line route St. Moritz-Chur-Disentis-Andermatt-Brig-Visp-Zermatt. A one-day trip in panoramic-view cars takes tourists from St. Moritz to Zermatt through some of the most spectacular scenery of the Alps.
Further lines
The GornergratbahnGornergratbahn
The Gornergratbahn is a nine-kilometre metre-gauge mountain rack railway, with Abt rack system. It leads from Zermatt, Switzerland , up to the Gornergrat...
climbs for 9 kilometres from an elevation of 1600 metres near the Zermatt station of the Zermatt RR to a 3000-metre high-end station on the shoulder of the Monte Rosa Mountain. The entire route is a rack-and-pinion railway
Rack railway
A rack-and-pinion railway is a railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with this rack rail...
.
Lauterbrunnen
Lauterbrunnen is a municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.The municipality lies in the Lauterbrunnen Valley and comprises the villages Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, Mürren, Gimmelwald, Stechelberg and Isenfluh...
and Grindelwald
Grindelwald
Grindelwald is a municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. The village is located at above sea level in the Bernese Alps.-Winter sports:...
. It begins at Interlaken Ost station and divides at Zweiluetschinen, about 10 kilometres south of Interlaken. The western branch leads to Lauterbrunnen, while the eastern branch leads to Grindelwald. It is possible to make a loop by taking the Lauterbrunnen branch and returning via the Grindelwald branch. The two branches are connected by the Wengernalp Bahn.
The Wengernalpbahn
Wengernalpbahn
Wengernalpbahn is a 19.091 km long, gauge rack railway line in Switzerland, which runs from Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald to Kleine Scheidegg, making it the world's longest continuous rack and pinion railway....
is a 19-kilometre line from Lauterbrunnen
Lauterbrunnen
Lauterbrunnen is a municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.The municipality lies in the Lauterbrunnen Valley and comprises the villages Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, Mürren, Gimmelwald, Stechelberg and Isenfluh...
to Grindelwald
Grindelwald
Grindelwald is a municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. The village is located at above sea level in the Bernese Alps.-Winter sports:...
, leading over the Eiger ridge at the junction station of Kleine Scheidegg
Kleine Scheidegg
The Kleine Scheidegg is a high mountain pass below and between the Eiger and Lauberhorn peaks in the Bernese Oberland, Switzerland. It connects Grindelwald with Lauterbrunnen. The name means "minor watershed", even though it is actually higher than the neighbouring Grosse Scheidegg...
. In the winter, this junction is a ski resort served by many lifts and trails, as well as the rail line. Skiers can ride the train from the valleys below to return to the top of the runs.
The Jungfraubahn
Jungfraubahn
The Jungfraubahn is an gauge rack railway electrified at 3-phase 1,125 volts 50 Hertz, which runs 9 kilometres from Kleine Scheidegg to the highest railway station in Europe at Jungfraujoch...
, which is also rack-and-pinion throughout, starts at Kleine Scheidegg and runs 9 kilometres through tunnels in the Eiger
Eiger
The Eiger is a mountain in the Bernese Alps in Switzerland. It is the easternmost peak of a ridge crest that extends across the Mönch to the Jungfrau at 4,158 m...
and Mönch
Mönch
The Mönch is a mountain in the Bernese Alps, in Switzerland. Together with the Eiger and the Jungfrau it forms a highly recognisable group of mountains visible from far away....
, leading to the "Jungfraujoch," a saddle between the Mönch and the Jungfrau
Jungfrau
The Jungfrau is one of the main summits in the Bernese Alps, situated between the cantons of Valais and Bern in Switzerland...
summits. At the saddle are a visitor center and an observatory. The Aletsch Glacier
Aletsch Glacier
The Aletsch Glacier or Great Aletsch Glacier is the largest glacier in the Alps. It has a length of about and covers more than in the eastern Bernese Alps in the Swiss canton of Valais...
, largest in Europe, runs to the south toward the Rhone
Rhône River
The Rhone is one of the major rivers of Europe, rising in Switzerland and running from there through southeastern France. At Arles, near its mouth on the Mediterranean Sea, the river divides into two branches, known as the Great Rhone and the Little Rhone...
valley.
The Bergbahn Lauterbrunnen-Mürren
Bergbahn Lauterbrunnen-Mürren
The Bergbahn Lauterbrunnen-Mürren is a mountain railway in the Bernese Oberland area of Switzerland, which connects the villages of Lauterbrunnen and Mürren. The enterprise consists of a connected aerial cableway, also known as the Grütschalpbahn, and a adhesion worked railway.-Operations:The...
(BLM) is 6 km long, divided into two independent parts, the first part being a cable car (which runs above the old funicular
Funicular
A funicular, also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope; the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalance each other.-Operation:The basic principle of funicular...
railway, which was replaced in 2006), the second adhesion
Rail adhesion
The term adhesion railway or adhesion traction describes the most common type of railway, where power is applied by driving some or all of the wheels of the locomotive. Thus, it relies on the friction between a steel wheel and a steel rail. Note that steam locomotives of old were driven only by...
railway.
The Martigny–Châtelard railway is 19 km long, with one rack railway section, in the canton of Valais.
It connects into the Saint-Gervais–Vallorcine railway in France, the joint services being marketed as
Mont-Blanc Express.
Montreux-Oberland Bernois
The Montreux-Oberland Bernois railway , is a railway operating in southwest Switzerland, one of the oldest electric railways in the country; its main line, in length, built to gauge, connects Montreux, Gstaad and Zweisimmen where passengers can transfer to a branch of the standard gauge...
line runs 75 kilometres from Montreux
Montreux
Montreux is a municipality in the district of Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.It is located on Lake Geneva at the foot of the Alps and has a population, , of and nearly 90,000 in the agglomeration.- History :...
on Lake Geneva
Lake Geneva
Lake Geneva or Lake Léman is a lake in Switzerland and France. It is one of the largest lakes in Western Europe. 59.53 % of it comes under the jurisdiction of Switzerland , and 40.47 % under France...
to Zweisimmen
Zweisimmen
Zweisimmen is a municipality in the Obersimmental-Saanen administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.-Geography:Zweisimmen has an area of . Of this area, 56.2% is used for agricultural purposes, while 32.9% is forested...
, with a connecting line to Lenk
Lenk
Lenk may refer to:Places:* Lenk im Simmental, a municipality in the district of Obersimmental in the canton of Bern in SwitzerlandPeople:* Arthur Lenk, an Israeli diplomat* Maria Lenk, a Brazilian swimmer...
in the Simmental
Simmental
Simmental is an alpine valley in the Bernese Oberland of Switzerland. It expands from Lenk to Boltigen, in a more or less South-North direction , and from there to the valley exit at Wimmis near Spiez it takes a West-East orientation . It comprises the municipalities of Lenk, St...
. The section from Montreux to Zweisimmen, approximately 63 kilometres long, is part of the "Golden Pass Panorama" trip from Montreux to Lucerne, a trip which combines rides on the MOB, the BLS and the Brünig lines.
From Interlaken
Interlaken
Interlaken is a municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the Canton of Bern in Switzerland, a well-known tourist destination in the Bernese Oberland.-History:...
, the narrow-gauge Brünigbahn
Brünigbahn
The Brünigbahn was, until 31 December 2004, the only narrow gauge railway of the Swiss Federal Railways . On 30 June 2004, the Swiss Federal Council empowered the SBB to sell the Brünigbahn to Luzern–Stans–Engelberg-Bahn , and this company was renamed to Zentralbahn.The Brünigbahn encompasses the...
section of the Zentralbahn
Zentralbahn
The Zentralbahn is a Swiss railway company that was created on January 1, 2005, with the merger of the Luzern–Stans–Engelberg-Bahn and the Brünigbahn...
runs 74 kilometres further to Lucerne
Lucerne
Lucerne is a city in north-central Switzerland, in the German-speaking portion of that country. Lucerne is the capital of the Canton of Lucerne and the capital of the district of the same name. With a population of about 76,200 people, Lucerne is the most populous city in Central Switzerland, and...
. It skirts Lake Brienz
Lake Brienz
Lake Brienz is a lake just north of the Alps, in the Canton of Berne in Switzerland. The lake took its name from the village Brienz on its northern shore. Interlaken and the villages Matten and Unterseen lie to the south west of the lake. The shores are steep, and there is almost no shallow water...
and passes through the range of mountains to the north of the lake via Brünig pass, and then drops into the Sarner Aa valley to Lucerne.
At Brienz
Brienz
Brienz is a municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.The village lies on the north bank of Lake Brienz in the Bernese Oberland at the foot of the Brienzer Rothorn mountain.-History:...
the Brienz Rothorn Bahn
Brienz Rothorn Bahn
The Brienz Rothorn Bahn is an gauge tourist rack railway in Switzerland, which climbs from Brienz, at the eastern end of Lake Brienz, to the summit of the Brienzer Rothorn mountain...
(BRB), a steam-hauled rack railway
Rack railway
A rack-and-pinion railway is a railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with this rack rail...
, ascends to near the summit of the Brienzer Rothorn.
Trams
There are trams operating on nine systems in seven Swiss cities. Street-running tramways are nearlyall metre gauge
Metre gauge
Metre gauge refers to narrow gauge railways and tramways with a track gauge of . In some African, American and Asian countries it is the main gauge. In Europe it has been used for local railways in France, Germany, and Belgium, most of which were closed down in mid 20th century. Only in Switzerland...
. The Chemin de fer Bex–Villars–Bretaye (BVB)
in Bex
Bex
Bex is a municipality in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland, located in the district of Aigle. It is a few miles south of its sister town municipality of Aigle.-The Bex Salt Mine:Bex is the site of a famous salt mine....
is more of a mixed interuban light rail line connected to a rack railway
Rack railway
A rack-and-pinion railway is a railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with this rack rail...
but it does have some street running portions, particularly in Bex where the BVB operates along the right of way of a tramway system originally built in the 1890s.
| City | System | Start of electric operations |
Gauge | notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basel Basel Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany... |
Basler Verkehrs-Betriebe Basler Verkehrs-Betriebe Basler Verkehrsbetriebe is an electric tramway in Basel, Switzerland and has been open from May 6, 1892... (BVB) |
6 May 1892 | 4 lines | |
| Baselland Transport Baselland Transport Baselland Transport is a public transport company in Basel, Switzerland. It operates the more suburban routes and its vehicles wear a yellow-and-red colour scheme... (BLT) |
6 October 1902 | metre gauge | 8 lines, 65.2 km (40.5 mi), 100 trams, serves suburbs | |
| Bern | Stadtische Verkehrsbetriebe Bern | 1 July 1902 | ||
| Bex Bex Bex is a municipality in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland, located in the district of Aigle. It is a few miles south of its sister town municipality of Aigle.-The Bex Salt Mine:Bex is the site of a famous salt mine.... |
Chemin de fer Bex–Villars–Bretaye (BVB) | 1890s | metre gauge Metre gauge Metre gauge refers to narrow gauge railways and tramways with a track gauge of . In some African, American and Asian countries it is the main gauge. In Europe it has been used for local railways in France, Germany, and Belgium, most of which were closed down in mid 20th century. Only in Switzerland... |
connects to rack railway in Villars-sur-Ollon Villars-sur-Ollon Villars sur Ollon, commonly referred to as Villars, is a village in Switzerland in the canton of Vaud, part of the municipality of Ollon. Accommodation consists largely of chalets... |
| Geneva Geneva Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland... |
Transports Publics Genevois Transports Publics Genevois Geneva Public Transport operates most of the public transportation system in Geneva Canton, Switzerland, including the city of Geneva. The agency's head office is in Grand-Lancy, Lancy.... |
22 September 1894 | ||
| Lausanne Lausanne Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west... |
Tramway du sud-ouest lausannois | 2 June 1991 | ||
| Neuchâtel | Tramways de Neuchâtel | 16 May 1897 | ||
| Zürich Zürich Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich... |
Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich is a public transport operator in the Swiss city of Zurich, and is wholly owned by the city. Previously known as the Städtische Strassenbahn Zürich , the organisation was founded in 1896 and adopted its current name in 1950... (VBZ) |
8 March 1894 | ||
| Stadtbahn Glattal Stadtbahn Glattal Stadtbahn Glattal is a project to introduce a modern rapid-transit system to the Glattal area to the North of the city of Zürich in Switzerland. Stadtbahn Glattal is being developed as a metre gauge tram system with through running to that of neighbouring Zürich... |
10 December 2006 | |||
S-bahn
In german speakingGerman language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
parts of Switzerland the frequent town to and from city commuter service
known as the S-Bahn
S-Bahn
S-Bahn refers to an often combined city center and suburban railway system metro in Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Denmark...
in Germany or S-Linien in Switzerland has been built in several cities such
as the Zürich S-Bahn
Zürich S-Bahn
The Zurich S-Bahn system is a network of rapid transit rail lines that has been incrementally expanded to cover the ZVV area, which comprises the entire canton of Zurich and portions of neighboring cantons The Zurich S-Bahn system is a network of rapid transit rail lines that has been...
and the Basel Regional S-Bahn
Basel Regional S-Bahn
The Basel Regional S-Bahn has provided an S-Bahn-style rail service connecting the Basel metropolitan area since 1997 in Switzerland, Germany and France. It consists of five suburban train lines, including two that operate across borders. The S-Bahn is operated by the Swiss Federal Railways its...
. In french speaking
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
portions of the country
the service may be known as Réseau Express Régional
RER
The RER is a rapid transit system in France serving Paris and its suburbs. The RER is an integration of a modern city-centre underground rail and a pre-existing set of commuter rail lines. It has several connections with the Paris Métro within the city of Paris. Within the city, the RER...
such as in the Léman RER
Léman RER
The Léman RER , referred to as S-Bahn Léman in German-speaking areas, is a planned commuter rail network for the cities of Lausanne and Geneva in west Switzerland.- Réseau Express Vaudois :...
.
History
The construction and operation of Swiss railways during the 19th century was carried out by private railways. The first internal line was a 16km line opened from ZürichZürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
to Baden
Baden, Switzerland
Baden is a municipality in the Swiss canton of Aargau, on the west bank of the river Limmat, located in the Limmat Valley , northwest of Zürich. It is the seat of the district of Baden...
in 1847. By 1860 railways connected western and northeastern Switzerland. The first Alpine railway to be opened under the Gotthard Pass in 1882. A second alpine line was opened under the Simplon Pass
Simplon Pass
Simplon Pass is a high mountain pass between the Pennine Alps and the Lepontine Alps in Switzerland. It connects Brig in the canton of Valais with Domodossola in Piedmont . The pass itself and the villages on each side of it, such as Gondo, are in Switzerland...
in 1906.
In 1901 the major railways were nationalised to form Swiss Federal Railways. During the first half of the twentieth century they were electrified and slowly upgraded. After the Second World War rail rapidly lost its share of the rail market to road transport as car ownership rose and more roads were built. From 1970 the Federal Government has become more involved in upgrading the railways, especially in urban areas and on trunk routes under the Rail 2000
Rail 2000
Rail 2000 is a large-scale project of the Swiss Federal Railways established in 1987 to improve the quality of the Swiss rail network. It includes measures to accelerate a number of existing connections and the modernisation of rolling stock...
project. In addition, two major trans-alpine routes—the Gotthard Railway and the Lötschberg
Lötschberg Base Tunnel
The Lötschberg Base Tunnel is a railway tunnel on the BLS Lötschbergbahn's Lötschberg Line cutting through the Alps of Switzerland some below the existing Lötschberg Tunnel. It is currently the world's longest land tunnel and accommodates passenger and freight trains. It runs between Frutigen,...
approach to the Simplon Tunnel
Simplon Tunnel
The Simplon Tunnel is an Alpine railway tunnel that connects the Swiss town of Brig with Domodossola in Italy, though its relatively straight trajectory does not run under Simplon Pass itself. It actually consists of two single-track tunnels built nearly 20 years apart...
—are being rebuilt under the AlpTransit
AlpTransit
AlpTransit, also known as New Railway Link through the Alps NRLA , is a Swiss federal project aimed to build faster north-south rail links across the Swiss Alps by constructing base tunnels several hundred metres below the level of the current tunnels...
project.
Rail links to adjacent countries
- Same gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8½ in)
-
AustriaRail transport in AustriaRail transport in Austria is mainly owned by the national rail company ÖBB. The railway network consists of 6,123 km, its gauge is 1,435 mm and 3,523 km are electrified....
— same voltage 15 kV, 16.7 Hz AC -
FranceRail transport in FranceRail transport in France is mostly operated by SNCF, the French national railway company. France has the second largest European railway network, with a total of 29,901 kilometers of railway...
— voltage change 15 kV, 16.7 Hz AC / 25 kV, 50 Hz AC or 1,500 V DC -
GermanyRail transport in Germany, Germany had a railway network of 41,315 km. 19,857 km are electrified. The total track length was 76,473 km. Germany is a member of the International Union of Railways . The UIC Country Code for Germany is 80.-Overview:...
— same voltage 15 kV, 16.7 Hz AC -
ItalyRail transport in ItalyThe Italian railway system is one of the most important infrastructure in the country, with a total length of . The network is recently growing with the construction of the new high speed rail network....
— voltage change 15 kV, 16.7 Hz AC / 3 kV DC -
LiechtensteinRail transport in LiechtensteinLiechtenstein's railway is operated by the Austrian Federal Railways. The railway only incidentally serves stations in Liechtenstein, and is an exception to the more usual co-operation with Switzerland, such as Liechteinstein's use of the Swiss franc as its currency and its common customs area...
— same voltage 15 kV, 16.7 Hz AC
-
- Same gauge 1,000 mm (3 ft 3⅜ in)
- ItalyRail transport in ItalyThe Italian railway system is one of the most important infrastructure in the country, with a total length of . The network is recently growing with the construction of the new high speed rail network....
(Bernina RailwayBernina RailwayThe Bernina Railway is a single track metre gauge railway line forming part of the Rhaetian Railway . It links the spa resort of St. Moritz, in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland, with the town of Tirano, in the Province of Sondrio, Italy, via the Bernina Pass...
), break-of-gaugeBreak-of-gaugeWith railways, a break-of-gauge occurs where a line of one gauge meets a line of a different gauge. Trains and rolling stock cannot run through without some form of conversion between gauges, and freight and passengers must otherwise be transloaded...
and voltage change at TiranoTiranoTirano is a town in Valtellina, located in the province of Sondrio, Northern Italy. It has about 9,044 inhabitants and is adjacent to the Switzerland-Italy boundary. The river Adda flows through the town....
-
Although both Austria and Germany use the same voltage as Switzerland, only specially adapted trains are able to run to and from those two countries, because narrower pantographs
Pantograph (rail)
A pantograph for rail lines is a hinged electric-rod device that collects electric current from overhead lines for electric trains or trams. The pantograph typically connects to a one-wire line, with the track acting as the ground wire...
are used in Switzerland.
See also
- AlpTransitAlpTransitAlpTransit, also known as New Railway Link through the Alps NRLA , is a Swiss federal project aimed to build faster north-south rail links across the Swiss Alps by constructing base tunnels several hundred metres below the level of the current tunnels...
- List of railway companies in Switzerland
- SBB-CFF-FFSSBB-CFF-FFSSwiss Federal Railways and SFR are not in official use) is the national railway company of Switzerland headquartered in Bern. Formerly a government institution, it is since 1999 a special stock corporation with all shares held by the Swiss Confederation or the Swiss cantons...
- Swiss locomotive and railcar classification
- Transportation in Switzerland