Bern S-Bahn

Bern S-Bahn
A BLS S-Bahn train at Trubschachen
Overview
Locale Bern, Switzerland
Transit type S-Bahn
Number of lines 13
Daily ridership 175,000 (weekdays)
Website S-Bahn Bern (in German)
Operation
Began operation 1974/1995
Operator(s) BLS AG
Regionalverkehr Bern-Solothurn (RBS)
Technical
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) (BLS)
1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) (RBS)
Bern S-Bahn

The Bern S-Bahn (German: S-Bahn Bern; French: RER Berne) is an S-Bahn commuter rail network focused on Bern, the capital city of Switzerland. The network is roughly coterminous with Bern's urban agglomeration.

With approximately 9 million train kilometres per year, the Bern S-Bahn is the second-largest S-Bahn in Switzerland. It handles around 100,000 passengers daily (175,000 on weekdays), and thus carries the majority of the agglomeration's regional public transport traffic.

History

As early as 1974, Regionalverkehr Bern-Solothurn (RBS) began operating S-Bahn-style clock-face schedule services in the Bern area. Since 1987, the company has run a cross-city regional service between Thun and Laupen/Fribourg.

In 1995, RBS started to designate its regional services as S-Bahn services. The existing cross-city line was designated as S1, and the designation S2 was given to a new cross-city line, between Schwarzenburg and Trubschachen.

The next expansion occurred in 1997, with the commissioning of the S3 (Biel/Bienne−Belp) and the S4/S44 (Bern–Bümpliz Nord−Burgdorf and beyond). In addition, the remaining standard gauge regional train services were designated as the S33, S5, S51 and S55 lines.

Since the timetable change in December 2004, the RBS narrow gauge lines have been integrated into the S-Bahn numbering system as the S7, S8 and S9. Upon the 2008 timetable change, the network's interchange station arrangements were altered, the S11, S22 and S33 lines were shut down, and new lines S52 and S6 were opened.

Operations

The Bern S-Bahn Bern is operated, under a joint commission from the Canton of Bern, its neighbouring cantons and the Federal Government, by the following railway companies:

Upon the timetable change on 12 December 2004, the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB-CFF-FFS) withdrew from its previous involvement in the operation of the Bern S-Bahn, but also took over all of the long-distance services previously operated by the BLS.

Lines

As of 2012, the network consisted of the following lines:

Notes

  • The trains on line S 44 operate as two separate articulated train portions from (Solothurn–)Wiler to Burgdorf and from Sumiswald-Grünen to Burgdorf respectively, and are then combined into a multiple unit train from Burgdorf to Thun.
  • The trains on line S 5 operate as a combined multiple unit train from Bern to Kerzers, and are then divided into two separate articulated trains, with one portion continuing to Murten (–Avenches–Payerne) and the other to Neuchâtel.
  • Line S 52 operates outside peak times beyond its terminus at Kerzers through to Lyss. During peak times and in the evenings, S52 trains continue from Kerzers to Ins or Neuchâtel.

Rolling stock

The normal rolling stock rosters for the Bern S-Bahn are:

  • S 1 BLS RABe 515 ("MUTZ"): up to two units per train (2 x 4- double-decker car EMU).
  • S 2 BLS RBDe 565 ("NPZ") with two "B6 Jumbo" intermediate cars.
  • S 3 BLS RABe 515 ("MUTZ"): up to two units per train (2 x 4- double-decker car).
  • S 31 BLS RABe 515 ("MUTZ")
  • S 4 BLS RBDe 565 or BLS RBDe 566 II ("NPZ") with "B6 Jumbo" and "B Lego" intermediate cars.
  • S 44 BLS RABe 525 ("NINA"): 4 cars EMU.
  • S 5 BLS RABe 525 ("NINA"): 1–3 units per train (3 cars EMU).
  • S 51 BLS RABe 515 ("MUTZ")
  • S 52 BLS RBDe 565 or RBDe 566 II
  • S 6 BLS RABe 515 ("MUTZ")
  • S 7 RBS Be 4/12 ("Mandarinli"): in peak times 2 x 4/12 (4 rounds),
  • S 7 supplementary trains Bern–Bolligen (2 rounds) Be 4/12 or ABe 4/12
  • S 8 RBS Be 4/12 ("Seconds"): 2 EMU per train.
  • S 9 RBS Be 4/12 ("Secondas")

See also

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