Switzerland - Services Under Review in 2012

Introduction

This document provides a list of Swiss services that were under review in December 2012. By the end of 2018, no action towards closure had been taken on any of the listed lines or services. Accordingly, this review would appear to be largely dormant. In many cases the funding of these lines is the responsibility of the relevant Cantons. This page has been retained for historical information, and it may be a good indication if future budgetary cuts are made.

A list of services that do not cover 50% of their costs and are therefore considered to be under threat is shown here. The page gives no source details, but RTS appears to be Radio Television Suisse, so it is presumably reasonably authoritative. This list is just a starting point and there are likely to be many political hoops to go through before any withdrawals take place. Furthermore, it must be emphasised that it is services rather than lines that are under review and it is most unlikely that, for example, that Visp - Brig - Andermatt - Disentis /- Göschenen line is going to be closed.

It should be noted that this is all part of a greater review of Swiss rail transport - some of which might have other far-reaching implications.

The following table attempts to rationalize the list and re-sort it into lines, and to assess the risk of closure. Category C lines are mainly those where the services under threat are local trains on lines with other, usually express, services so the risk of closure is considered very low. At other end of the scale, category A lines are generally those with local services only, so considered most under threat. Category B lines are those, somewhere in the middle, where specific issues affect the level of threat, and these issues are shown in the notes.

Table No.	Line	Risk Category	Notes
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101	Lausanne – Bercher	B	Line extended into Lausanne in recent years
111	Vevey – Puidoux-Chexbres	A
112	Vevey – Blonay	B	Suburban line, and provides connection to Les Pleiades rack line
112	Blonay – Ondallaz [- Les Pleiades]	C	Seems unlikely that the rack line would be partly shut.
120	Montreux – Zweisimmen	C	Local services between Montreux and Les Avants, and Zweisimmen and Saanen specifically mentioned. Local though services may also be threatened but can’t see this premier tourist route closing
120	Zweisimmen - Lenk	A	Has been threatened with closure before
121	Montreux – Glion – Haut-de-Caux [- Rochers de Naye]	C	Threat is presumably to morning and evening short workings to Haut-de Caux. Popular tourist line.
124	Aigle – Les Diablerets	A	Has been threatened with closure before
125	Aigle – Leysin	B	Rack line, may be difficult to bus substitute
126	Aigle – Ollon – Monthey – Champéry	B	Rack line, busy with tourists, closure seems unlikely
127	Bex – Villars-sur-Ollons [- Col-de-Bretaye]	B	Includes rack sections, Villars is major tourist resort.
130	St Gingolph – St Maurice	A	Branch from St Maurice to St Gingolph has been threatened with closure before.
130	St Maurice – Sion – Brig	C
132	Martigny – Le Châtelard-Frontière	B	Rack line, popular tourist service
133	Martigny – Orsieres/Le Châble	A
142	Visp – Brig – Andermatt – Disentis/Göschenen	C	Some local services may be threatened, but this is a major and popular tourist route.
150	Allaman – Lausanne (S4)	C
150	Lancy–Pont Rouge – Genève - Coppet	C	Coppet to Geneve is a local service on the main line. The branch to Lancy-Pont Rouge is currently being linked by a new underground line to the SNCF branch from Annemasse, so closure is most unlikely.
151	Genève – La Plaine [- Bellegarde]	C
155	Nyon – St-Cergue –La Cure	B	Relatively recent investment in new terminus at Nyon
156	Morges – Apples – Bière	B	Freight traffic so branch would not close
156	Apples – L’Isle-Mont-la-Ville	A	Sparse service by Swiss standards
200	Vallorbe – Daillens (S2)	C	S2 is the local service on a main line, although if this were withdrawn then only peak hour services and a limited international service would remain.
201	Vallorbe – Le Pont - Le Brassus	A
210	Yverdon-les-Bains – Neuchâtel – Biel/Bienne	C
210	Lausanne – Yverdon-les-Bains (S1)	C
211	Orbe - Chavornay	A
212	Yverdon-les-Bains – Ste-Croix	A
213	Neuchâtel – Areuse – Boudry	B	Local tram line 5, closure seems unlikely
221	Neuchâtel – Travers	C
221	Buttes – Fleurier – Travers	A
222	Les Ponts-de-Martel – La Chaux-de-Fonds	A
223	[Morteau -] Le Locle Col des Roches – La Chaux de Fonds	B	Withdrawal of the local trains would leave a sparse cross border service
223	Neuchâtel – La Chaux-de-Fonds – Le Locle	B	Presume that this is the local service on what is an important regional line
224	Les Brenets – Le Locle	A
225	Sonceboz-Sombeval – La Chaux de Fonds	B	Presume that this is the local service on what is an important regional line
226	Biel/Bienne – Sonceboz-Sombeval	A
226	Sonceboz-Sombeval – Moutier	B	Presume that this is the local service on what is an important regional line
230	Basel SBB – Laufen – Delémont (S3)	C
236	La Chaux-de-Fonds – Le Niormont - Govelier	A
237	Le Noiremont – Tavannes	A
238	Porrentuy – Bonfol	A	Seriously threatened owing to the cost of renewing the signalling and providing disabled access
240	Delémont - Porrentuy – Boncourt – Delle	B	Both local and regional services under threat, but cross-border services to Belfort to be restored
249	Lausanne – Palézieux (S4/2)	C
250	Palézieux - Romont - Fribourg	C
251	Palézieux - Payerne	A
252	Yverdon-les-Bains – Payerne – Fribourg	A
253	Bulle - Broc	A
254	Bulle – Romont	A
255	Fribourg – Murten – Ins/ - Kerzers	A
256	Bulle – Montbovon - Palézieux	A
290	Biel/Bienne – Täuffelen – Ins	A
291	Kerzers – Lyss - Büren a A	A
301	Fribourg – Flamatt – Bern	C
302	Laupen – Flamatt	A
303	[Thun -] Belp – Bern (S3)	B	Other services through to Thun
304.1	Burgdorf - Solothurn	B	S44 services specifically mentioned, but there are also RE services on this route
305	Kerzers - Murten – Payerne	A
	Bern – Bern Brünnen Westside - Kerzers (S51/2)	C
306	Bern – Schwarzenburg	A
310	Spiez – Interlaken Ost	C	Busy line with Inter City services
320	Spiez - Zweisimmen	C	Part of important regional and tourist route
330	Spiez - Frutigen	C	Part of key international route
340	Thun – Hasle Rüegsau	B	Busy route with Brig – Solothurn RE services
410	Biel/Bienne - Solothurn - Olten	C	Principal passenger route from Zurich to Geneve
411	Solothurn – Moutier	A	Threatened with closure from 2016 owing to the condition of Weissenstein tunnel.
412	Oensingen - Balsthal	A	Some buses
413	Solothurn – Niederbipp – Langenthal	A
414	Langenthal - St Urban – St Urban Ziegelei	A
440	Wolhusen – Langenthal (S7)	B	Other services on this line
440	Luzern – Schachen (S61)	C
450	Langenthal – Olten – (S23/29)	C
460	Luzern – Wolhusen – Langnau (S6)	C	Line also used by RE services
470	Meiringen – Interlaken Ost	C	Important regional and tourist line
470	Luzern – Giswil (S5)	C	Important regional and tourist line
474	Meiringen – Innertkirchen	A
480	Luzern – Stans (S4)	C	Short workings on Engelberg branch
500	Olten – Basel (S3)	C
501	Basel SBB – Basel Bad Bhf	C
502	Liestal – Waldenburg	A
503	Sissach – Läufelingen – Olten (S9)	A	A closure proposal was rejected in a local referendum in November 2017
510	Olten - Sursee – Luzern	C
514	Lenzburg – Suhr – Zofingen (S28)	A
600	Zug – Arth-Goldau – Erstfeld (S2)	C
600	Luzern – Arth-Goldau – Brunnen (S3)	C
600	Airolo – Bellinzona – Lugano – Chiasso (S10)	C
603	Vitznau – Rigi Staffelhöhe [- Rigi Kulm]	C	Would appear to represent a couple of short services on this tourist rack line
620	Locarno – Camedo [- Domodossola]	C
632	Bellinzona – Locarno (S20)	C
633	Bellinzona – Pino Tr (S30)	A	Line with local service only
635	Lugano – Ponte Tresa (S60)	A	Line with local service only
644	Aarau – Menziken (S14)	A	Line with local service only
650	Aarau – Wildegg - Turgi (S29)	C
650	Aarau – Lenzburg – Brugg – Baden (S23)	C
650	Olten – Aarau (S23/29)	C
651	Luzern – Hochdorf – Lenzburg (S9)	A
653	Lenzburg – Wohlen – Muri AG – Rotkreuz (S26)	B	Line with local service only, but important regional route
653	Arth-Goldau – Rotkreuz (S32)	B	Line with infrequent local service, but important regional route
654	Wohlen – Bremgarten – Dietikon	A
660	Baar Lindenpark – Zug (S2)	C
670	Arth-Goldau – Biberbrugg (S31)	B	Significant local line with IR services
670	Pfaffikon – Biberbrugg	B	Significant local line with IR services
671	Rapperswil – Pfäffikon (Shuttlezuge)	B	Important link line with other through services
672	Biberbrugg – Einsielden (Shuttlezuge)	B	Many other through services
672	Wädenswil – Samstagern	A
700	Basel SBB – Frick – Brugg (S1)	C
700	Stein-Sackingen - Laufenberg	A
701	Turgl – Koblenz – Waldshut/- Bad Zurzach	A
711	Zürich HB – Affoltern a A (S15)	C	Short workings on suburban through line
712	Zürich HB – Adliswil – Langnau–Gattikon (SN4)	C	Late evening services only
720	Zürich HB – Pfäffikon – Ziegelbrücke	C
720	Thalwil – Zug (S21)	C
736	Ziegelbrücke – Schwanden - Linthal	A	Local services only and some buses beyond Schwanden
740	Zürich HB – Wetzikon (S14)	C	Other suburban services on this line
740	Wetzikon – Hinwil (S14)	A
754	Winterthur – Bauma – Rüti (S26)	A
760	Bulach – Schaffhausen (S22)	C
761	Koblenz Grenze – Eglisau (S41)	A
761	Winterthur – Bülach (SN)/(S41)	A
763	[Singen -] Thayngen – Erzingen [- Waldshut]	B	Significant international line, electrification planned west of Schaffhausen
820	Schaffhausen – Stein am Rhein (SN3)	C	Overnight trains only
820	Kreuzlingen – Stein am Rhein (S3)	A
821	Winterthur – Seusach (S29)	C	Other local services on this section
821	Seusach -Stein am Rhein (S29)	A
830	Weinfelden - Konstanz (SN)	C	Night services only
840	Winterthur – Frauenfeld – Weinfelden (S30/S8)	C
845	Romanshorn – Rorschach (S7/8)	A
850	Winterthur – Wil (S35)	C
852	Sulgen – St Gallen (S5)	A
853	Wil – Wattwil – Nesslau-Neu St Johann (S9)	A
854	Gossau – Appenzell - Wasserauen	A
856	Gais – Alstätten Stadt	A
857	Rorschach Hafen – Heiden	A
858	Rheineck – Walzenhausen	A
859	St Gallen – Trogen	A
870	Romanshorn – St Gallen	C	Peak hour services only affected
	Uznach – Wattwil – St Gallen (S4/6)	C	Local and peak hour services only affected
880	St Gallen - Buchs – Sargans	C	Important international line
900	Ziegelbrücke – Sargans – Chur	C	Important regional line with IC services
910/60	Landquart – Klosters – St Moritz	C	Recent massive investment in new tunnel on this important regional line
910	Klosters – Davos	B	Davos is an important regional centre
915	Davos – Filisur	A
941	Schiers - Chur – Rhäzüns - Thusis	C
960	Pontresina - Samedan	A
960	Sanglians – Scuol-Tarasp	B	Important regional line
BUS	Chêne-Bougeries – Gare-Augustins (Genève)		Replacement service while new line built
Tram 12	Zürich Flg – Glattbrugg – Wallisellen – Dübendorf – Stettbach
Tram 6	[Bern Fischermatteli -] Bern Bahnhofplatz – Muri – Worb Dorf (6)