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29-542: Regionalverkehr Mittelland AG (RM) was a 1997 merger of which had been under common management since 1943. In 2006 the main owners of RM and BLS Lötschbergbahn , the canton of Bern and the Swiss Confederation merged the two companies, forming the new BLS AG . BLS L%C3%B6tschbergbahn The Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon-Bahn (BLS), known between 1997 and 2006 as the BLS Lötschbergbahn ,

58-643: A considerable contribution towards transferring transit traffic from road to rail. In 1994 the BLS moved 9.2 million passengers. 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 Britain's railway network can probably show best and worst what happened with its divisions and fragmentation). Although not bound by EU directives Switzerland

87-665: 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 Bern , with the Confederation holding about one fifth. With the opening of the Gotthard line in 1882 the canton of Bern 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

116-490: 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 Lötschberg Base Tunnel 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

145-638: A terminus at Interlaken , whilst from Spiez to Brig the Lötschberg line was used. This classic main line formed part of a longer route, from the border with France and Germany through the Simplon Tunnel to the border with Italy and Milan . As part of one variant of this route, the BLS also owned and built the Grenchenberg line between Moutier and Lengnau , which included the 8.5 km (5.3 mi) Grenchenberg tunnel , and shortened

174-566: A viable international transit route through Switzerland. Several alternative routes via Frutigen – Lötschberg 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. Possibly because of French finance the construction of the "Mountain Route" the 58 km Frutigen–Brig line,

203-829: Is also responsible for operating most routes of the Bern S-Bahn , together with some of those of the Lucerne S-Bahn . The directly owned main line of the Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon-Bahn ran from Thun , where it connected with the Swiss Federal Railways through Spiez and the Lötschberg Tunnel to Brig , where it connects with the Swiss Federal Railways owned Simplon Tunnel to Italy . The route between Thun and Spiez formed part of Lake Thun line , which also serves

232-501: 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. On 15 May 2001, in order to secure their future,

261-720: The Lake Thun railway (TSB) (Thun/Scherzligen–Interlaken–Bönigen), and became the operating company for three other companies in the area, the Bern–Neuchâtel railway (BN), the Gürbetal–Bern–Schwarzenburg railway (GBS) and the Spiez–Erlenbach-Zweisimmen railway (SEZ) adding some 130 km (80.8 mi) to its system. The BLS/TSB merger meant that the Lötschbergbahn also became the proprietor of

290-456: 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 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

319-565: 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 delayed, due to geological problems on the southern side of the Simplon, until 11 June 2001. Since opening, the " rolling highway ", the transportation of trucks by rail from Germany to Italy via Lötschberg, has made

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348-522: 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

377-641: The Swiss Confederation, the authorities being vehemently opposed to any rival transit route. 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, France had surrendered Alsace-Lorraine to Germany . As part of this annexation, the French-Swiss border crossing at Basel was lost. Because of this, business circles in Paris were interested in co-financing

406-677: The cantons of Bern, Lucerne, Solothurn, Valais, and Neuchâtel exchanged their BLS and RM shares for BLS AG ones. 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 Massif. It

435-543: 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. On 27 September 1992, the Swiss people voted with an overwhelming majority in favour of the NRLA project. In voting "Yes" the Swiss people gave their approval for

464-632: 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 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

493-486: The distance between the French border at Delle and Bern. However most of this longer route was always operated by other railway companies. Besides the lines mentioned above, the BLS also operated several other independently owned operating companies in the canton of Bern , including the Bern–Neuchâtel railway (BN), the Gürbetal–Bern–Schwarzenburg railway (GBS) and the Spiez–Erlenbach-Zweisimmen railway (SEZ). In 1997,

522-595: The entire Lötschberg–Simplon route. In June 2006, following their respective Annual General Meetings and with the approval of the shareholders, the Regionalverkehr Mittelland AG and the BLS Lötschbergbahn AG were merged to form BLS AG . 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

551-509: The following locomotives and multiple units. Re 425 170–190 are fitted with ETCS and thus able to pull trains over NBS Mattstetten – Rothrist and through Lötschberg Base Tunnel . Other Re 425 could act in MU as second or third engine and, if required, also behind an Re 465. 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

580-454: The north shore. The lake is poor in nutrients, and thus fishing is not very important. Nevertheless, in 2001 10,000 kg of fish were caught. There have been passenger ships on the lake since 1839, and currently there are five passenger ships on the lake. The ships are operated by BLS AG , the local railway company, and link Interlaken Ost railway station , which they access using a 1.3-kilometre (0.81 mi) long navigable stretch of

609-485: 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. The line, entirely double-track, was officially inaugurated on 8 May 1992. At the end of 1993, the Swiss Confederation commissioned

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638-509: The ownership of these lines was taken over by the BLS. Between 2004 and 2006, when it was subsumed into the BLS AG , the company also operated extensive commuter services as part of the Bern S-Bahn 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. The Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon-Bahn operated

667-459: The shipping company on Lake Thun and Lake Brienz . In 1915, to shorten the distance through the Jura Mountains, to the French border, the company inaugurated the Grenchenberg line between Moutier and Lengnau , which included the 8.5 km (5.3 mi) Grenchenberg Tunnel . Following World War I, in 1919, Alsace-Lorraine was returned to France under the Treaty of Versailles , and Basel

696-440: The use of such consists for additional trains of S-Bahn Bern ended. Five consists are in use around Spiez (2011). Third field of use are the car shuttles through (old) Lötschberg Tunnel . A total of nine driving trailers is available for this purpose. The BLS was engaged in the following activities: Lake Brienz The village of Brienz , from which the lake takes its name, lies on the northern shore to its eastern end. In

725-562: The west, the lake is terminated by the Bödeli , a tongue of land that separates it from neighbouring Lake Thun . The village of Bönigen occupies the lake frontage of the Bödeli, whilst the larger resort town of Interlaken lies on the reach of the Aare between the two lakes. The village of Iseltwald lies on the south shore, whilst the villages of Ringgenberg , Niederried and Oberried are on

754-528: Was a Swiss railway company. In 2006 the company merged with Regionalverkehr Mittelland AG to form a new company called BLS AG . BLS owned the largest standard gauge network on the Swiss Railway system apart from the Swiss Federal Railways . 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

783-432: Was assigned to a French construction consortium, the major civil engineering work on the section being 13.7 km (8.5 mi) single-track Lötschberg Tunnel . 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

812-417: 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 avalanche galleries 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. In 1913 the BLS made a successful takeover of

841-407: Was restored as a border crossing between France and Switzerland. As a consequence, the importance of Delle as a border crossing point into France became less. Transit traffic was more and more routed via Basel / Saint-Louis . 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. Problems with

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