Swiss railway news – Page 19
-
NewsRecord ridership in a 'challenging year' for SBB
SWITZERLAND: Swiss Federal Railways found 2013 'a challenging year', but carried more than a million passengers/day for the first time while its freight business recorded positive net income for the first time in more than 40 years. SBB's consolidated net income fell from SFr422·5 in 2012 to SFr238·2m in 2013, ...
-
NewsSimplon tunnel safety contract signed
SWITZERLAND: Swiss Federal Railways has awarded a contract to Rhomberg Bahntechnik to install, test and commission safety equipment in the two single-track bores of the 20 km Simplon tunnel between Brig and Iselle in Italy. The SFr7·1m contract covers the installation of illuminated handrails, alarm equipment, emergency signage and lighting ...
-
NewsSwiss voters back long-term rail funding plan
SWITZERLAND: Swiss Federal Railways has welcomed the result of a referendum on February 9 which saw voters approve a long-term strategy to finance and upgrade rail infrastructure. SBB said the Finanzierung und Ausbau der Bahninfrastruktur strategy which was supported 62:38 on a 55% turnout would provide a solid foundation ...
-
NewsSwitzerland to fund Italian gauge enhancement
EUROPE: An agreement for Switzerland to fund gauge enhancement works to provide clearance for 4 m high semitrailer traffic from freight terminals in northern Italy to the Swiss border was signed by the two countries' transport ministers on January 28. Switzerland is aiming to encourage road freight to switch to ...
-
NewsTango light rail vehicles ordered for St Gallen
SWITZERLAND: Appenzeller Bahnen has awarded Stadler Rail a SFr60m contract to supply seven Tango light rail vehicles as part of the St Gallen Durchmesserlinie project. Announcing the order on January 23, Stadler said the six-section 50 m long and 2 400 mm wide metre-gauge LRVs would be similar to Tango ...
-
NewsBase tunnel tests start the countdown to opening
SWITZERLAND: Transport Minister Doris Leuthard launched the first official test train through a completed section of the Gotthard Base Tunnel on December 16. Accompanied by Swiss Federal Railways CEO Andreas Meyer and AlpTransit Chairman Renzo Simoni, Leuthard took the opportunity to announce that the Base Tunnel would be inaugurated during ...
-
NewsSBB launches Starbucks coffee coach
SWITZERLAND: A Swiss Federal Railways IC2000 double-deck buffet car has been refurbished and branded as a Starbucks Coffee House. From November 21 it will be used for a nine-month trial period on two daily services from Genève and Fribourg to St Gallen, and the success of the venture will be ...
-
NewsCross-border RER Franco-Valdo-Genevois to serve Genève from 2017
EUROPE: SBB CEO Andreas Meyer and SNCF President Guillaume Pepy signed a letter of intent on October 30 setting out the next steps for the creation of a cross-border RER network centred on Genève. From December 2017 the 230 route-km RER Franco-Valdo-Genevois would serve a total of 45 stations, connecting ...
-
NewsBase tunnel maintenance fleet ordered
SWITZERLAND: SBB has ordered a fleet of specialist track and infrastructure maintenance equipment from Harsco Rail for use in the Gotthard and Ceneri base tunnels from 2016. Valued at SFr93·7m, but with provision for further options, the contract announced on October 30 covers a fleet of 31 specialist machines including ...
-
NewsMatterhorn Gotthard Bahn provides easier access to the Alps
SWITZERLAND: The first of 11 low-floor coaches ordered to increase train capacity and improve facilities for passengers with reduced mobility entered traffic on the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn on October 11, after a formal unveiling two days earlier. The air-conditioned coach built by Stadler Rail's Bussnang plant has wide doors, folding ...
-
NewsGATX sells stake in AAE Cargo
SWITZERLAND: Chicago-based leasing company GATX Corp sold its 37·5% stake in European wagon owner AAE Ahaus Alstätter Eisenbahn Cargo to its partner AAE Ahaus Alstätter Eisenbahn Holding on September 26. The sale price of €84·5m comprised €17·0m in cash and a €67·5m secured loan to AAE Holding. As a result ...
-
NewsETR610 Pendolinos under construction
EUROPE: A workshop dedicated to the assembly of ETR610 tilting trains for Swiss Federal Railways was inaugurated at Alstom's Savigliano plant in Italy on September 20. SBB ordered the eight Pendolino trains in July 2012, as a SFr275m option on a contract for 14 trainsets which had been placed by ...
-
NewsGotthard contractor changes hands
SWITZERLAND: Following the insolvency of Austria’s Alpine Bau group earlier this year, the company’s Swiss subsidiary has now been sold to Wien-based Renaissance Construction AG. Headquartered in Hergiswil, the Swiss business unit is one of the four partners in the Transtec Gotthard consortium, which is the general contractor responsible for ...
-
NewsSiemens to supply mobile reactive power compensation systems
SWITZERLAND: In what Siemens says is a world first, Swiss Federal Railways has awarded Siemens’ Smart Grid Division a SFr9·3m contract to design and supply mobile 15 MVAr reactive power compensation systems which can be deployed by rail. These will be used to stabilise the traction voltage and improve ...
-
NewsSiemens to support Swiss network control system to 2025
SWITZERLAND: Swiss Federal Railways has awarded Siemens a €260m contract to continue to support and develop the Iltis traffic management system until the end of 2025. Originally developed for SBB and first deployed in Bern in 1995, Iltis provides computer-based control and automation functions. It is used to manage train ...
-
NewsFaiveley buys Schwab Verkehrstechnik
SWITZERLAND: Coupler and buffer manufacturer Schwab Verkehrstechnik has been acquired by Faiveley Transport. The Schaffhausen-based company has 42 employees and recorded sales of SFr23m in 2012. 'We are delighted to join the Faiveley Transport Group whose wide commercial reach will bring us new business opportunities globally, particularly in China, India ...
-
NewsBombardier wins SBB double-deck train order
SWITZERLAND: On May 12 Swiss Federal Railways announced that Bombardier Transportation had been selected to supply a fleet of 59 double-deck electric multiple-units for long-distance services. The order for a total of 436 vehicles is the largest single rolling stock contract which SBB has placed, and includes ...
-
News
Stadler relies on tailor-made trains
ON JUNE 4 Stadler Rail officially opened a SFr20m third assembly hall at its Bussnang plant. The event marked completion of a second phase of expansion at the site in northeast Switzerland. Bussnang-based Stadler-Fahrzeuge AG has been active in the specialist passenger rail vehicle sector since 1945. Growth took off ...
-
News
Seetalbahn goes low-floor
SWITZERLAND: On April 28 Swiss Federal Railways announced that it was to order a fleet of 17 low-floor articulated trainsets to operate its Seetalbahn line between Luzern and Lenzburg. The eight-axle GTW cars will be supplied by Stadler Fahrzeuge AG and Adtranz for SFr100m, and will have seats for 160 ...
-
News
Swiss will be first with live ETCS
Level 2 ETCS is being installed on the Olten - Luzern main line, where Swiss Federal Railways is taking the opportunity to replace obsolete signalling equipment. The project forms a pilot for the ERTMS/ETCS programme