THE SUMMER timetable change on May 24 sees the expansion of S-Bahn services in the Swiss capital Bern. Two new cross city routes are being added to the two already operational. Services are run by a joint venture of SBB, BLS, Regionalverkehr Mittelland and the Sensetalbahn, with a common fares structure.
SBB Line S3 links Thun and Biel via Belp, Bern and Lyss, effectively doubling the local service between Bern and Biel. BLS and RM are jointly responsible for Line S4, which provides an hourly service from Bümpliz Nord to Langnau via Burgdorf and RM’s Huttwil Bahn. Additional peak-hour express services from Bern to Huttwil operate as Line S44. Rush-hour extras are also introduced on the Bern - Neuchatel Line S5, diverging at Kerzers to serve Murten and Avenches; these are designated Line S55.
- May 24 also sees expansion of the cross-border Basel S-Bahn Green line from Frick and Laufenburg to Mulhouse. The basic weekday service is doubled to 14 trains each way, with 13 on Saturday and 10 on Sundays. All trains serve the intermediate station at Basel St Johann on the SNCF section in Switzerland. o
