Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon-Bahn

356:. Construction began on 15 October 1906 but within months the Swiss federal authorities ordered the BLS to enlarge the tunnel to double track and to profile its access ramps to suit. Money was not forthcoming for the provision of a double track line throughout and only the Lötschberg Tunnel itself was constructed in this way. Due to an accident on 24 July 1908 in which rock, washed with alpine waters, collapsed into the tunnel gallery killing 25 Italian miners, construction work was halted for six months before the gallery was sealed and plans made to bypass the site. The plan was to construct three curves inside the mountain and extending the length of the tunnel to 14.612 km (9.079 mi). The breakthrough was finally made on 31 March 1911. With the completion of the access ramps, the other civil engineering works on the line, 33 tunnels, 3 370: 472:

Britain's railway network can probably show best and worst what happened with its divisions and fragmentation). Although not bound by EU directives Switzerland is surrounded by EU countries and as details arrived from Brussels notice was taken of happenings elsewhere. The BLS Lötschbergbahn reacted early and realigned itself strategically. On 1 January 1997, the jointly-operated BN, GBS and SEZ railways merged with BLS to form BLS Lötschbergbahn AG. The organisation was also changed, the company being now based around the three profit-focused core business of infrastructure, passenger traffic and cargo.

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S-Bahn network, the second largest in the country. This was accompanied by the transfer of long-distance railway operations from the BLS to the SBB. Within the cargo sector the SBB assumed overall control for full-load traffic in Switzerland. Transit and block train traffic has been subject to competition since the signing of the 2001 agreement. The SBB became responsible for rail network management across Switzerland.

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of 41 km (25.5 mi). For financial reasons the tunnel length was shortened to 34.6 km (21.5 mi), and the greater part of one of the bores was only constructed as a shell. The new base line was inaugurated on 15 June 2007 and full standard traffic started with the new timetable on 9 December 2007. In full operation trains are able to travel through the

340: 121: 266:. The railway had not been built at the time that the Federal government took control of the five big Swiss standard gauge railway companies in 1902 and so it led a separate existence, being considered the largest of the Swiss "private" railways, although the majority of its capital was owned by the cantonal government of 536:. The new undertaking belongs to the canton of Bern (55.8%), the Swiss Confederation (21.7%), and further cantons and private persons (22.5%). The BLS AG was actually founded on 24 April 2006, when the cantons of Bern, Lucerne, Solothurn, Valais, and Neuchâtel exchanged their BLS and RM shares for BLS AG ones. 299:

became separated from the main north–south route. The administration, not being happy with the situation, made full use of its federal rights to build its own line but it could not rely on financial aid from the Swiss Confederation, the authorities being vehemently opposed to any rival transit route.

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On 15 May 2001, in order to secure their future, the BLS and SBB agreed on a new task-sharing arrangement. This was largely implemented as part of the timetable changes made on 12 December 2004 when the BLS took over the running of the SBB's S-Bahn lines and with it, system responsibility for Bern's

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The economic, political and legal operating environment for European railways changed to such an extent towards the end of the 20th century that restructuring amongst railway operators became inevitable. Liberalisation and competition also started to make an impact on railways. (Using EU legislation

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Problems with the operation of a single line railway were being seriously felt in the 1960s, but it was not until 1976 that the Federal Council gave their approval to loan of CHF 620,000,000 to upgrade the line to double track, the work to be carried in several stages, commencing the following year.

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project. In voting "Yes" the Swiss people gave their approval for the construction of two transverse routes through the Alps, one at the Gotthard, the other at the Lötschberg. The original NRLA Lötschberg project provided for two single bore tunnels between Frutigen and the Rhône valley, a distance

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Re 425 191–195 were fitted with Railvox public address system and thus primarily used for push-pull services. There are 6 driving trailers for passenger services. By December 2010 the use of such consists for additional trains of S-Bahn Bern ended. Five consists are in use around Spiez (2011).

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At the end of 1993, the Swiss Confederation commissioned the BLS to provide a "piggyback" corridor along its line for road vehicles with a width of 2.5 m (98.4 in) and a corner height of 4 m (13 ft 1.5 in). The construction work began in January 1994 and the opening was

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As a result of the fusion of the companies, the BLS AG became the second-biggest operation on Swiss standard-gauge railways after the Swiss Federal Railways. The BLS AG operates regional traffic in an area that lies between Lake Neuchâtel and Lake Lucerne and the Jura Mountains and the Simplon

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Possibly because of French finance the construction of the "Mountain Route" the 58 km Frutigen–Brig line, was assigned to a French construction consortium, the major civil engineering work on the section being 13.7 km (8.5 mi) single-track

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at speeds of 160–200 km/h (99.4–124.3 mph). Since the completion of NRLA and the opening of the new Lötschberg Base Tunnel, the BLS is responsible for the operation of train services along the entire Lötschberg–Simplon route.

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and 22 bridges, together with the provision of electrical support masts, power stations, sub-stations, etc., the line, powered at 15,000 volts, alternating current, 16⅔ Hz was officially opened on 19 June 1913.

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network. The BLS network operated trains over 245 km (152.2 mi) of standard gauge track, but the BLS actually owned only 115 km (71.5 mi). The whole network was electrified at 15 kV 16⅔ Hz.

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were proposed but eventually, the Pro-Lötschberg Initiative Committee won the day. The Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon-Bahn was founded on 27 July 1906 and within a few months construction work commenced.

460:", the transportation of trucks by rail from Germany to Italy via Lötschberg, has made a considerable contribution towards transferring transit traffic from road to rail. 2484: 2311: 76: 668: 390: 159: 443:. Freight traffic between Germany and Italy, which could be routed via the Lötschberg line meant that the company was able to offset the loss of transit via Delle. 393:(SEZ) adding some 130 km (80.8 mi) to its system. The BLS/TSB merger meant that the Lötschbergbahn also became the proprietor of the shipping company on 300:

Bern had to look elsewhere to raise the necessary funds and these were to come from an unexpected source. In 1871, due to the Franco-Prussian War,

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This article is about the former railway company that existed between 1906 and 2006. For the company that succeeded it in 2006, see

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Since a 1994 agreement with the SBB, the BLS has operated many suburban services in Bern, and runs regional services towards

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were interested in co-financing a viable international transit route through Switzerland. Several alternative routes via

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Besides the lines mentioned above, the BLS also operated several other independently owned operating companies in the

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delayed, due to geological problems on the southern side of the Simplon, until 11 June 2001. Since opening, the "

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In June 2006, following their respective Annual General Meetings and with the approval of the shareholders, the

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In 1915, to shorten the distance through the Jura Mountains, to the French border, the company inaugurated the

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Re 425 170–190 are fitted with ETCS and thus able to pull trains over NBS Mattstetten – Rothrist and through

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Heimatkunde für die Landschaft Frutigen. Kapitel "Die Bahnen". Paul Haupt, Bern 1977, pp. 419–437.

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as a border crossing point into France became less. Transit traffic was more and more routed via

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and Bern. However most of this longer route was always operated by other railway companies.

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On 27 September 1992, the Swiss people voted with an overwhelming majority in favour of the

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The Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon-Bahn operated the following locomotives and multiple units.

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This classic main line formed part of a longer route, from the border with

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The line, entirely double-track, was officially inaugurated on 8 May 1992.

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The directly owned main line of the Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon-Bahn ran from

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subsidiary (in 2002 870 million ton-kilometres of freight were conveyed)

671:(SEZ). In 1997, the ownership of these lines was taken over by the BLS. 678:, the company also operated extensive commuter services as part of the 637: 566: 409: 309: 2375:

Rail transportation of accompanied cars through the Lötschberg tunnel

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BLS RABe 535 on the southern Lötschberg ramp between Lalden and Brig.

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Neue Wege im Alpentransit. Umorientierung bei der BLS Lötschbergbahn

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Rail transportation of trucks between Switzerland and Italy via

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Massif. It is also responsible for operating most routes of the

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Share of the Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon-Bahn, issued 27 July 1906

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and Germany through the Simplon Tunnel to the border with

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