Chemin de iron of Lötschberg

The BLS (Initials meaning Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon ) or Railroad of Lötschberg (in German BLS Lötschbergbahn ) is a Railway company Suisse, of private statute (but whose Capital belongs mainly to the Canton of Bern) which exploits the second Swiss railway network after that of the CF.

In June 2006, the BLS Railroad of Lötschberg amalgamated with Regional transport of Mittelland (RM) to give rise to the new business, BLS SA, with an aim of reinforcing the competitiveness of the two railway companies in the transalpine goods traffic like in the regional traffic travellers. The new business employs some 2600 collaborators.

The network managed by the BLS counts 245 km of lines with normal way, electrified in alternative course 15 Kv, 16 2/3 Hz, of which 115 km belong to him into clean. These ways constitute, on the axis central Suisse Italy via the Tunnel S of the Lötschberg and the Simplon, the deprived wide-area network with normal way.

Convention with the CF

A signed convention the January 15th 2001 between the BLS and the CF fixed the framework of a close co-operation between the two networks. The CF should in the long term enter to a total value of 34% the capital of the BLS.

The network

The network pertaining to the BLS is the following:

the line of mountain of Lötschberg between Thoune (Thun) and Aspires to
the line Spiez - Interlaken
the line Spiez - Zweisimmen
the line Bern - Neuchâtel
the line Bern - Schwarzenburg
the line Grenchen - Moutier (tunnel of the Mountain of Barns)
the network of Regional transport of Mittelland (RM) (after fusion)
the basic Tunnel of Lötschberg (long 34,5 km and belonging to NLFA)

Activities

The activities of the company are the following ones:

management of the infrastructure belonging to him into clean,
passenger transport: since December 2004, the BLS exploits

the totality of the RER (S-Bahn) of Bern (in normal way),

the regional traffic on ways BLS (Spiez - Zweisimmen, Spiez - Reichenbach im Kandertal (Frutigen as of December 2006), Spiez - Interlaken and Brigue - Goppenstein), in the past RM (for example Soleure - Thun and Soleure - Moutier), and some ways CF (Payerne - Kerzers and Kerzers - Büren-year-DER-Aare)

of the trains RE (Regio-Express train) on ways CF (Bern - Lucerne) and BLS (Bern - Neuchâtel and as of December 2007, Bern - Aspires to by the ridge line of the Lötschberg)

the section Interlaken - Zweisimmen of the tourist train " Panoramic" golden delicious-Not; (Lucerne-Interlaken-Zweisimmen-Montreux)

N the other hand of exploitation of S-Bahn of Bern by BLS, CF ensure all relations long distance on ways BLS (Brigue - Basle, Interlaken - Basle or Zurich)
goods transport (by subsidiary company BLS Cargo which transported 870 million tkm in 2002),
transport of cars accompanied (shuttles given rhythm between the canton by Bern (Kandersteg) and the Valais (Goppenstein or Brigue), even directly as far as Italy (Iselle-di-Trasquera),
Swiss Piggyback traffic Italy (transport of heavy trucks accompanied on flattened special coaches); this service is ensured by RAlpin SA, joint venture of the BLS, the CF, Trenitalia SpA and the Hupac company, Swiss conveyer rail-truck driver,
services of Navigation on the lakes of Thoune and Brienz.
service of bus in the high valley of Kandertal (Frutigen - Kandersteg)

See too

Railroad | CF | List of the Swiss railroads | Railway company
List of the Swiss companies

External bond

BLS, official site
Article BLS in the historical Dictionary of Switzerland

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