Border Crossings: Germany - Switzerland
Notes:
- Despite a common electrification system, different designs of overhead line and pantographs prevents through working by electric trains without special arrangements.
- Most cross-border local services in the Basel area work on the "green channel" system. There are signs and announcements that passengers are only allowed to use the service across the border if they have travel documents with them, and have goods within the allowed limits.
- There is a map of the Basel S-Bahn at www.regio-s-bahn.ch/d_Basel/Regio_S_Bahn_Basel/img/Netzplan06.pdf which may assist with understanding some of the Basel-area cross-border routes.
- Passengers may travel between different parts of Germany via Schaffhausen or Basel Badischer Bf without undergoing border controls. It is usually necessary to pass a border control to reach or leave the platform used by DB trains at Schaffhausen. However, passengers may freely change trains and use station facilities at Basel Badischer Bf and border checks are only made upon entering or leaving the area at the station entrance. This part of the station is accessible from the street for people in Basel wishing to make enquiries or purchase tickets in advance.
- SBB works passenger trains to and from Basel Badischer Bf via the Basel avoiding line, but all others are operated by DB, including those between Germany and Basel SBB.
Konstanz DB - Kreuzlingen SBB / Kreuzlingen Hafen SBB
[E] Mittel Thurgau Bahn operates through trains between Engen and Weinfelden, Rorschach and Romanshorn via Konstanz and Kreuzlingen. Passengers may be required to alight from the train at Konstanz and pass through a border control building on the station while the train runs empty from one end of the platform to the other. The east-facing curve towards Kreuzlingen Hafen has no passenger service.
(Singen -) Rielasingen DB - Ramsen SBB (- Etzwilen)
[D] Line closed, but there is a project to re-open it as a heritage railway. See www.etzwilen-singen.ch.
(Singen -) Bietingen DB - Thayngen SBB (- Schaffhausen)
[E] SBB works to and from Singen with trains via Zürich. DB works diesel Corridor Trains between Singen and Basel via Schaffhausen and Waldshut. Passengers joining or leaving trains at intermediate stations in Switzerland may be subject to checks. Trains between the Zürich line and Singen change from left-hand to right-hand running at Schaffhausen.
(Waldshut -) Erzingen (Baden) DB - Trasadingen DB (- Schaffhausen SBB)
[D] DB works diesel Corridor Trains between Singen and Basel via Schaffhausen and Waldshut. Passengers joining or leaving trains at intermediate stations in Switzerland may be subject to checks.
(Eglisau -) Altenburg Rheinau SBB - Neuhausen SBB (- Schaffhausen)
[E] SBB works all trains between Schaffhausen and Zürich. Passengers joining or leaving trains at intermediate stations in Germany may be subject to checks. It is not possible to travel between German stations on this line and other parts of Germany without undergoing border controls at Schaffhausen.
(Schaffhausen -) Lottstetten SBB - Rafz SBB (- Eglisau)
see item above.
Waldshut DB - Koblenz SBB
[E] SBB electric trains work to Waldshut. All DB services from Waldshut are diesel-operated.
(Waldshut -) Grenzach DB - Basel Badischer Bf DB
[DE] see headnotes regarding Basel Badischer Bf.
(Lörrach -) Lörrach-Stetten DB - Riehen (b Basel) DB (- Basel Badischer Bf DB)
[E] see headnotes regarding Basel Badischer Bf. Riehen (b Basel) is an unmanned station, but for customs purposes it is in Germany.
(Freiburg -) Weil (Rhein) DB - Basel Badischer Bf DB
[E] see headnotes regarding Basel Badischer Bf.
