All Switzerland articles – Page 13
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NewsNo holes in the plan as Swiss cheese reaches China by rail
INTERNATIONAL: Raclette cheese, fondue cheese, milk chocolate and prepared milk have been delivered in what operator Far East Land Bridge said was the first ever shipment of Swiss dairy products to China by rail. The goods travelled by rail from Duisburg in Germany to Chongqing in China via the Trans-Siberian ...
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NewsLong-distance concession talks break down
SWITZERLAND: Negotiations for a national jointly operated long-distance passenger traffic concession with services run by SBB, BLS and SOB collapsed on February 16. Discussions had been underway since autumn last year for the ‘multi-railway’ proposal. SBB issued a statement regretting the failure of the talks and noted that BLS had ...
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NewsSNCF buys 45% stake in BLS Cargo
SWITZERLAND: BLS has agreed to sell a 45% stake in its freight subsidiary BLS Cargo to SNCF Logistics, the French national railway’s freight business. The deal announced on February 16 is subject to regulatory approval. BLS would remain the majority shareholder with a 52% stake, and Ambrogio Group would retain ...
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NewsBerner Oberland-Bahn EMU enters service
SWITZERLAND: The first of six Stadler ABDeh 8/8 electric multiple-units ordered by Berner Oberland-Bahn entered revenue service on the metre-gauge route between Interlaken Ost, Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald on February 13. This followed a ceremony on February 10 during which a depot at Zweilütschinen was formally opened and the first of ...
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NewsSBB Cargo adopts new financing model for locomotive order
SWITZERLAND: Swiss Federal Railways’ freight business said it was ‘entering into new forms of financing’ when it announced an order for 18 Siemens Vectron multi-system electric locomotives on January 30. SBB Cargo International has opted to order the locomotives through LokRoll, a leasing company set up by family-owned investment group ...
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NewsSBB launches multi-modal trip planning apps
SWITZERLAND: Swiss Federal Railways has launched SBB Reiseplaner apps for iOS and Android, providing a door-to-door trip planner based on HaCon’s Hafas platform which includes multi-modal public transport connections, car sharing provider Mobility, private cars and private or hired bikes along as well as car and cycle parking. The user ...
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NewsMatterhorn Gotthard Bahn renews shunting locomotive fleet
SWITZERLAND: Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn has awarded Stadler a SFr23m contract to supply seven locomotives of three types for shunting and hauling infrastructure trains. This will enable the metre-gauge operator to retire its older diesel locomotives, standardise its non-passenger fleet and reduce noise and emissions. The contract signed on December 23 ...
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NewsTraxx approved for the Gotthard Base Tunnel
SWITZERLAND: Traxx locomotives which have been upgraded with the latest EBI Cab 2000 automatic train protection software are now approved for operation in the Gotthard Base Tunnel, Bombardier Transportation announced on November 28. Authorisation has been obtained as a result of ‘close co-operation’ between federal transport agency BAV, infrastructure manager ...
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NewsStadler awarded metre-gauge EMU contract
SWITZERLAND: Wynental- und Suhrentalbahn has awarded Stadler a SFr50m contract to supply five three-car electric multiple-units and spare parts. Entry into service is planned for December 2019, and there is an option for 10 more EMUs. The air-conditioned EMUs will have a maximum speed of 80 km/h. They will be ...
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NewsBitcoin to be sold through Swiss ticket machines
SWITZERLAND: Passengers will be able to buy the digital currency Bitcoin from Swiss Federal Railways’ ticket machines from November 11, under a distribution deal between the operator and financial intermediary company SweePay. SBB said there have been limited opportunities to purchase Bitcoin in Switzerland, and over the past two years ...
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NewsBözberg Tunnel groundbreaking
SWITZERLAND: A groundbreaking ceremony held at Schinznach-Dorf on March 9 launched construction of the 2·7 km new Bözberg Tunnel, the biggest single element of the project to increase clearances to 4 m to accommodate semitrailers on the Gotthard corridor between Bern and Italy. The new double-track bore is being built ...
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NewsSBB orders rescue trains
SWITZERLAND: Swiss Federal Railways has awarded a consortium of Windhoff Bahn- & Anlagentechnik and Dräger Safety a SFr38m contract to supply three firefighting and rescue trainsets by the end of 2018. The LRZ18 trainsets will be based at Genève, Melide and Brig to cover the CEVA line, Ceneri base tunnel ...
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NewsCantons back Grimsel Tunnel to link metre gauge networks
SWITZERLAND: The cantons of Bern and Valais and electricity distribution company Swissgrid unveiled a SFr580m plan for the construction of a railway linking the Zentralbahn and Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn metre-gauge networks on February 4. Swissgrid’s high voltage link over the Grimsel Pass is due to be replaced, and the ...
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NewsGotthard Base Tunnel freight tests begin
" src="https://d1x8q5iq3n6y12.cloudfront.net/CMS/s3/dvv-library/web/import/pics/tn_ch-gotthard-base-tunnel-first-freight-train-test.jpg?w=660" />SWITZERLAND: Testing of freight rolling stock in the 57 km Gotthard Base Tunnel began on January 16, when project promoter AlpTransit Gotthard and SBB Cargo undertook trials with a variety of wagon types including two rolling motorway lorry-carrying vehicles. Further tests over the coming weeks will assess vehicle ...
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NewsRebuilt snow blower on the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn
SWITZERLAND: Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn is keeping its Oberalp Pass route open this winter using a snow clearing vehicle which has been completely rebuilt by Schmidt. The metre-gauge vehicle which was previously used on the Rhätische Bahn’s Bernina route is more than 50 years old. After being acquired by MGB it ...
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NewsWindhoff designs high performance on-track machines for SBB
SWITZERLAND: Windhoff Bahn- und Anlagentechnik has announced details of the 35 self-propelled on-track machines which it is to supply to Swiss Federal Railways under the largest single contract which the company has won. Deliveries are scheduled from spring 2017 until 2021, with the first five vehicles to undergo six months ...
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NewsWaldenburgbahn to be regauged
SWITZERLAND: Plans to convert the 13·1 km Waldenburgbahn from 750 mm to 1 000 mm gauge by 2022 were approved by Basel’s construction and planning commission last month. The single-track line from Liestal to Waldenburg opened in 1880 and was electrified at 1·5 kV DC in 1953. It is ...
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NewsRhätische Bahn takes first delivery of Albula line trainset
SWITZERLAND: StadlerRail delivered the first new-generation trainset for Rhätische Bahn’s Albula line to Landquart depot on December 2. Testing of the 1 000 mm gauge trainsets ordered to operate express services between Chur and St Moritz, is due to begin between December 7 and 11, with certification by the ...
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NewsSBB inaugurates Olten control centre
SWITZERLAND: Swiss Federal Railways formally inaugurated its regional control centre at Olten on November 17, in a ceremony attended by SBB CEO Andreas Meyer, the president of canton Solothurn Roland Fürst and the Mayor of Olten Martin Wey. BZ Mitte is one of four regional centres that will eventually manage ...
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NewsSBB orders locomotives with ‘working and waiting’ cabs
SWITZERLAND: Swiss Federal Railways’ Infrastructure business has awarded preferred bidder Alstom a €175m contract to supply 47 Prima H4 electro–diesel locomotives. The four-axle locomotives are scheduled to enter service in 2018, and will be used to haul infrastructure trains and for shunting in yards at Lausanne and Limmattal. Alstom ...