Swiss railway news – Page 17
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NewsSBB approves pre-series Twindexx EMU
SWITZERLAND: Swiss Federal Railways has confirmed that two Bombardier Transportation pre-series Twinindexx Express double-deck long-distance electric multiple-units meet its quality standards and technical requirements, ahead of the start of test running in Switzerland. SBB announced the approval on June 8, when it formally unveiled one of the pre-series EMUs and ...
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NewsSwitzerland unveils biggest timetable shake-up since Bahn 2000
SWITZERLAND: This year’s timetable change on December 13 will be ‘the most ambitious since the introduction of Bahn 2000 in 2004’, Swiss Federal Railways announced on May 26. Long-distance services are set to expand by 660 000 train-km, or about 1%, while regional services will increase by 2·3 million train-km, ...
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NewsStrong franc brings Huber+Suhner structural changes
SWITZERLAND: Cable, connector and antenna systems supplier Huber+Suhner announced measures to cope with the impact of ‘negative effects due to the strong Swiss franc’ on May 12. The changes will lead to around 25 early retirements and 25 redundancies at its Herisau and Pfäffikon sites in 2015, along with ...
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NewsSBB prepares for Gotthard base tunnel opening
SWITZERLAND: Swiss Federal Railways is embarking on a major programme to modify long-distance rolling stock for operation through the Gotthard base tunnel, the company announced on April 30. In addition, it is launching an extensive staff training programme to prepare for the start of operations on December 11 2016. Announcing ...
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NewsABB wins Swiss substation contracts
SWITZERLAND: ABB has received turnkey contracts worth US$30m from Swiss Federal Railways and private operator Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn to supply three traction substations by 2018. The manufacturer says that this will help the operators to increase capacity by strengthening and stabilising their power supplies. The SBB order covers 132/66/15/11 ...
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NewsBLS Cargo orders Vectron locomotives
SWITZERLAND: BLS Cargo announced an order for Siemens to supply 15 Vectron multi-system electric locomotives on March 27. They are scheduled to be delivered in three batches, with the first to enter traffic in the second half of 2016 and the last in 2018. The locomotives are to ...
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NewsSBB awards on-track plant contracts
SWITZERLAND: Swiss Federal Railways has awarded contracts totalling SFr136m a year for the lease of 65 tampers, cranes and other track maintenance plant over periods of five to 10 years. The contracts are due to come into effect at the end of 2015, when the current agreements signed in 2006 ...
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NewsFirst Ceneri base tunnel breakthrough
SWITZERLAND: A final blast at noon on March 17 broke through the southern end of the western bore of the Ceneri base tunnel on the Gotthard corridor, 13 months ahead of schedule. The base tunnel’s twin 15·4 km bores are being excavated south from the Vigana portal, north from ...
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NewsZEB funds ease Bern traffic flows
SWITZERLAND: The release of a fifth tranche of funding under the ZEB railway infrastructure development programme paves the way for Swiss Federal Railways to start work on six enhancement projects worth a total of SFr170m. The biggest of these is the long-standing scheme to separate traffic flows at Wylerfeld east ...
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NewsSNCB Logistics launches Swiss Xpress
EUROPE: Belgian national freight operator SNCB Logistics has launched a fast single wagonload service between Antwerpen and Basel, which has reduced the transit time from seven to four and a half days. SBB Cargo provides feeder services in Switzerland. The Swiss Xpress trains leave the Belgian port on Mondays, ...
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NewsSBB orders more ETR610 tilting trains
SWITZERLAND: Swiss Federal Railways has exercised an option for Alstom to supply an additional four ETR610 New Pendolino tilting trainsets for use on the north–south Gotthard and Simplon corridors from 2017. The SFr120m order announced on January 30 follows two previous orders for seven and eight trainsets. The 250 ...
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NewsKnorr-Bremse to buy Selectron Systems
SWITZERLAND: Knorr-Bremse has signed an agreement to acquire rail vehicle automation, networking and control technology supplier Selectron Systems. Selectron Systems is based in Lyss and has more than 100 employees. Knorr-Bremse said customers of both companies would benefit in the original equipment, operations and aftermarket sectors, with Selectron Systems ...
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NewsBLS buys back DB’s stake in BLS Cargo
SWITZERLAND: BLS has agreed to buy back the 45% stake BLS Cargo which is owned by DB Schweiz Holding for an undisclosed price. Announcing the agreement on January 6, BLS said the transaction would have no effect on the existing operational relationships between the companies, and DB Schenker Rail would ...
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NewsS-Bahn expansion schemes launched
SWITZERLAND: Swiss Federal Railways has started work on a major capacity improvement programme between Genève and Lausanne. Announcing the launch of the SFr3bn ‘Léman 2030’ project at a ceremony in Renens station on November 22, SBB said that traffic on the route along the shore of Lac Léman is expected ...
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NewsSwiss border link inaugurated
SWITZERLAND: The first section of the FMV cross-border rail link will open for revenue service on December 15, following a formal dedication on November 27 attended by representatives from canton Ticino, the federal government, SBB and TILO, the cross-border transport operator for Ticino and Lombardia. Partially funded by the federal ...
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NewsSBB gets free trains following double-deck delays
SWITZERLAND: A revised schedule for the delivery of Twindexx Express long distance double-deck electric multiple-units ordered in 2010 has been agreed with Bombardier Transportation, Swiss Federal Railways announced on November 19. In compensation for a further one-year delay to deliveries, Bombardier will supply SBB with three additional EMUs and spare ...
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NewsSBB awards Eppenberg tunnel contract
SWITZERLAND: Swiss Federal Railways announced on November 14 that it had awarded a SFr273·7m contract for the construction of the 3 km Eppenburg tunnel, the key element in the SFr855m project to four-track the busy Olten – Aarau line by 2020. The contract awarded to the ARGE Marti Eppenberg ...
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NewsTracklaying completed in Gotthard base tunnel
SWITZERLAND: The completion of tracklaying in the 57 km Gotthard base tunnel was marked with a ceremony at 12.00 on October 31, when the concrete was poured for a ‘Golden Sleeper’, 54 m from the southern portal at Bodio. Noting that it is now possible for diesel-hauled trains to run ...
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NewsFirst MTR Express inter-city Flirt on test
SWEDEN: Ahead of the launch of MTR Express Stockholm – Göteborg open access services in March 2015, guests including Railway Gazette joined MTR Nordic and Stadler staff on a test run of the operator’s first Flirt Intercity EMU in Switzerland on October 17. MTR Express is part of the Nordic ...
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NewsZentralbahn orders more Fink EMUs
SWITZERLAND: Zentralbahn signed a SFr53m contract on September 22 for Stadler Rail to supply five more Fink metre-gauge electric multiple-units. Under the deal signed by ZB Managing Director Renato Fasciati and Stadler Rail Group CEO Peter Spuhler, the three-car rack EMUs are to be delivered in late 2016. They ...