List view / Grid view
21 July 2009 | By Max Friedli, Director, Federal Office of Transport, Switzerland
On 20 February 1994, a major political surprise occurred when, against all expectations, the Swiss voting population agreed upon a popular initiative to protect the Alps from transit traffic. This popular decision set the tone for a new Swiss transport policy. From then on, the goal of shifting freight transport…
21 July 2009 | By Philippe Gauderon, Head of SBB Infrastructure
Mr. Philippe Gauderon took up his new position as Head of SBB Infrastructure and Member of the SBB Management Board at the start of 2009. After studying law at the University of Fribourg, Mr. Gauderon initially worked as a lawyer until 1985. Between 1985 and 1995, he held numerous senior…
21 July 2009 | By Renzo Simoni, CEO, AlpTransit Gotthard Ltd
The year 2008 was highly successful for AlpTransit Gotthard Ltd. The work continues as scheduled and as things stand today, there is nothing to prevent the opening of the Gotthard Base Tunnel at the end of 2017 and the Ceneri Base Tunnel in 2019 as planned.
21 July 2009 | By Charles Wyss, Senior Program Manager of Gotthard Access and ZEB Program Portfolio and Markus Halder, Head of Energy Saving Initiative of the Rail Environmental Centre, Swiss Federal Railways SBB
Charles Wyss of Gotthard Access and ZEB Program Portfolio and Markus Halder of Swiss Federal Railways SBB discuss the long-term demand and future mobility requirements of its customers in both the passenger and freight sectors.
1 August 2008 | By James Abbott, Technical Editor
SBB is minimising the amount of time track is tied up with maintenance, by automating inspection systems and adopting standard components that can be installed rapidly. Global Railway Review’s Technical Editor, James Abbott, talks to Daniel Wyder, SBB’s Head of Asset Management for Track.
1 August 2008 | By Dr. Dirk Stahl, CEO, BLS Cargo AS
With the new Lötschberg Base Tunnel as an established business model and an investment in 10 new multi-system locomotives, BLS Cargo is preparing for future growth. Dr. Dirk Stahl, CEO, looks at the prospects for the company in 2008 and beyond.
29 January 2008 | By Christian Aubry, Project Manager, Freight Wagon Engineering, SBB Cargo AG
The possibility of catastrophe always has to be borne in mind in the case of a train carrying hazardous cargo. The risk can be substantially reduced with the use of derailment detectors, which are designed to immediately apply the brakes if a fault is detected.
30 July 2007 | By Paul Blumenthal, Head of SBB Passenger Traffic Division
Three years after the Rail 2000 project entered the operational phase, SBB now plans to introduce further service upgrades. In particular, the opening of the Lötschberg Base Tunnel in December 2007 will shorten journeys to Valais and Italy. The new timetable due to be introduced in December 2008 will see…
30 July 2007 | By Christian Kräuchi, Head of Communications, SBB Infrastructure Division
The railway line traversing the Gotthard massif is a vital artery through Switzerland. In 2007, the Gotthard Railway will be celebrating its 125th anniversary. During the past few decades, the line has been consistently modernised and adapted to the needs of today’s traffic. In a few years’ time, the existing…
30 July 2007 | By Annette Jordan, Head of SBB Cargo Deutschland
What do bananas, undressed timber and pasta all have in common? They are all travelling increasingly by rail thanks to the new rake offers added to SBB Cargo's international wagonload services.
30 July 2007 | By Hansjörg Hess, Head of SBB Infrastructure and Member of the Management Board
Overall mobility in Switzerland is forecast to grow by 15-30% between 2000 and 2030. Public transport is set to grow even faster, increasing its market share at the expense of car travel. For its part, SBB is forecasting an increase of 45% in passenger traffic in the same period. There…
6 June 2007 | By Daniel Huerlimann, CEO, OpenTrack Railway Technology Ltd and Andrew Nash, Researcher, ETH IVT
OpenTrack is a user-friendly railroad network simulation program. It is a microscopic model that simulates rail system operations based on user defined train, infrastructure and timetable databases. OpenTrack can be used to evaluate and test infrastructure plans and operating schedules in order to optimise network and timetable design. It can…
6 June 2007 | By Arnold Trümpi, Head of Business Unit ETCS, SBB
Since March 18 2007, the European Train Control System (ETCS) has been in full operation on Switzerland’s backbone of the railway network. The newly built Mattstetten – Rothrist line between Bern and Zurich is the core of the Rail 2000 concept. The new 42km section is used by 242 passenger…
3 April 2007 | By Jean-Damien Bierre, Haut Bugey Project Manager, RFF
The Haut Bugey line project is one of several Franco-Suisse projects. Its aim is to improve train links between France and Switzerland, as per the agreement signed in 1999 by French and Swiss governments. Although the project is entirely located in France, the Swiss government provides close to one third…
6 February 2007 | By Peter Zbinden, CEO and Ambros Zgraggen, Head of Communications, AlpTransit Gotthard Ltd
The Gotthard Base Tunnel construction work is progressing well. In the last year, almost 18 of the total 153 kilometres of shafts, passages and tunnels were excavated. At the end of 2006, more than 100 kilometres, or approximately two-thirds, of the tunnel system under the Gotthard had already been cut.…
