BLS AG

The BLS AG is a company founded in 2006 semi-public railway company in Switzerland. It maintains a normalspuriges route network of 440 kilometers in length, making it the largest private railway in Switzerland. In addition, it operates the boat trip on Lake Thun and Lake Brienz. The name goes back to the set up in 1906 Bernese Alps railway company BLS ( Bern -Lötschberg- Simplon).

The BLS AG was founded on 24 April 2006 and, after approval by the shareholders of the predecessor companies BLS Lötschberg Bahn AG (BLS ) and Regional Mittelland AG (RM ) since June 27, 2006 surgery. Legally, the fusion BLS and RM to the new BLS AG is made through a stock exchange, a BLS- share ( par value of CHF 10, - ) corresponds to eight shares of BLS AG ( CHF 1 - ), a RM- share ( par value of CHF 12.50 ) 24 shares of BLS AG. Major shareholders of BLS AG are the Canton of Bern with 55.8 percent share, and the Swiss Confederation with 21.7 percent.

The freight business is conducted by a legally independent subsidiary, the BLS Cargo since 2001. The freight business of RM was spun off before the merger in the Crossrail AG and this company has been sold.

After the release, on 16 June 2007, the forward operation began in the new Lötschberg base tunnel ( LBT ) and the full scheduled time of operation was recorded on December 9, 2007. Founded for this purpose BLS Alp Transit AG had met its objective. At the same time, the Confederation that the infrastructure of the BLS will moderate property spun off into a separate AG and the federal government, the majority will gives it. Therefore, the assets and liabilities of the BLS infrastructure were transferred to the BLS Alptransit and this in BLS Netz AG ( BLSN ) renamed. The infrastructure continues to be managed by the BLS, the staff remains employed by the BLS.

  • 4.1 Development of the fleet since 1990

Rolling stock

Paints the BLS rolling stock

BLS colors The various coatings

Lines

The BLS operates regional services in the Berne and Lucerne ( Bern S-Bahn, S -Bahn Luzern (S6 ) and regional express trains ). This includes the Bern region up to the endpoints in Neuchatel, Biel / Bienne, Fribourg / Laupen, Payerne, Black Castle, Thun, Brig, Bueren an der Aare, Lucerne, Langnau / Trubschachen.

  • S1 Fribourg -Bern -Thun - Münsingen
  • S2 Laupen -Bern - Konolfingen - Langnau IU
  • S3 Biel / Bienne, Lyss, Bern- Belp ( from 21 clock to Thun)
  • S31 ( Biel/Bienne-Lyss- ) Münchenbuchsee -Bern -Belp ( extension to Biel with a stop just in Lyss at peak times )
  • S4 Thun- Belp -Bern -Burgdorf - Ramsei - Langnau
  • S44 Thun-Belp-Bern-Burgdorf-Wiler/-Sumiswald-Grünen
  • S5 Bern-Kerzers-Neuenburg/Murten ( -Payerne )
  • S51 Bern- Stöckacker - Bümplizstrasse North Bern Brunnen West Side
  • S52 Bern- Stöckacker - Bümplizstrasse North Ross Häussern - Gümmenen - Kerzers ( -ins)
  • S6 Bern Black Castle
  • S6 Luzern-Wolhusen-Langnau/Huttwil-Langenthal (up to 2010 in cooperation with SBB, partly as S7)
  • S7 - Wolhusen Huttwil- Langenthal ( in this form since Dec. 2010)
  • S61 Lucerne - Schachen LU
  • RegioExpress Bern- Langnau -Lucerne ( since Dec. 2004)
  • RegioExpress Thun- Konolfingen -Burgdorf -Solothurn
  • RegioExpress Berne- Neuchâtel
  • RegioExpress Bern-Münsingen-Spiez-Brig/-Zweisimmen ( since Dec. 2007 under the name " Lötschberger " )
  • RegioExpress Interlaken Ost -Spiez -Zweisimmen
  • Regio ( Bern ) Spiez- Zweisimmen
  • Regio Spiez -Lenk ( individual condensations to RE)
  • Regio Thun- Konolfingen - Hasle Rüegsau ( -Burgdorf )
  • Regio Burgdorf -Solothurn
  • Regio Solothurn -Moutier (until 2010, now SBB)
  • Regio Kerzers - Lyss - Bueren an der Aare
  • Regio Interlaken Ost -Spiez

Car Transport

The BLS will load cars between Kandersteg and Goppenstein and to vacation travel times also between Kandersteg and Demoiselle (I ) south of the Simplon.

Shipping

The BLS operates the boat trip on Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, since she the Lake Thun Railway (which in 1912 with the " United Steamship Company for the lakes of Thun and Brienz » merged ) took over in 1913. The ship in the Bernese Oberland has now only tourist nature and travels mainly during the summer. The Lake of Thun ships serve as a feeder to the Beatus Caves and the mountain railway to Beatenberg - low horn, those on Lake Brienz open up the Giessbachfälle and have in Brienz connection direction Brünig Lucerne, Brienz Rothorn and to the museum over the mountain. There is no ship canal between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz (ie, between Interlaken West and East ), so a Two lakes movement is only possible with change in West and East (ship -Bahn, respectively vice versa). A combination of both paddle steamer ( " Lötschberg " on Lake Brienz and " Blümlisalp " on Lake Thun ) is only possible with start in Brienz ( Roadmap 2011). The BLS provides the period from May to October at the Lake of Thun seven or eight, on Lake Brienz four to five course couples. This, after the timetable has been thinned since 2003 due to declining frequencies and the loss of financial support from the Canton (2008). On the Lake of Thun, the price ships operate apart from Gwatt, Spiez and Faulensee only the right bank. The remaining piers on the left bank were abandoned or never realized ( Dürrenast ). The two paddle steamers are available from mid -May to mid-September in use. In addition to the regular passenger ships diverse culinary tours are offered, mainly in the evening.

  • Brienz
  • Brienz village
  • Giessbach
  • Oberried
  • Iseltwald
  • Niederried
  • Ringgenberg
  • Bönigen
  • Goldswil
  • Interlaken Ost (Aare )
  • Interlaken West ( Aareschifffahrtskanal )
  • Därligen (since 2007 decommissioned)
  • Leissigen (since 2007 decommissioned)
  • Neuhaus ( Interlaken )
  • Beatushöhlen - Sundlauenen
  • Beatenbucht
  • Merligen
  • Faulensee
  • Spiez
  • Gunten
  • Längenschachen ( heading hold appointment only from 6 people )
  • Oberhofen
  • Hilterfingen
  • Hünibach
  • Some (since 2007 decommissioned)
  • Gwatt ( heading hold only in summer)
  • Casino tuna ( no heading hold )
  • Schadau ( no heading hold )
  • Thun ( Aareschifffahrtskanal )

Fleet development since 1990

In 1992, the Lake of Thun - saloon steamer " Blümlisalp " had been put back into operation. This involved the renaming of motor vessels of " Blümlisalp " in " city of Thun " and " tuna " in " Kyburg ". The comfort on the motor boats was increased (at first especially Beatus MS and MS Bubenberg, their new first- Klass salons strongly reflect the new "Weggis class" on Lake Lucerne ). A complete fleet renewal program ( fleet concept in 2000 ) provided to replace all motor vessels who were older at the time than fifty years (possibly with the exception of MS Spiez ) until 2000. In a first stage, a new Lake Thun Gross Motor ship with a thousand people capacity and over four hundred banquet spaces ( "Trafalgar " ) should replace the MS Kyburg ( ex " tuna ") and the getting on in years, " Jungfrau ". For MS "virgin" a laying on Lake Brienz with simultaneous total renovation and reduction to 700 passengers Capacity was provided. MS Virgin should replace on the Brienz Rothorn MS. The commissioning of MS Berner Oberland then was delayed until 1996 and those of MS Virgin on Lake Brienz to 1999. Was envisaged further two to three small ships on Lake Thun by two new units with 200 to 300 people Capacity for extra trips in the summer and scheduled cruises in to replace winter. Only the MS Schilthorn was founded in 2002 based on this concept in operation. Nevertheless, several small vessels were decommissioned: MS Gunten (1998 ), MS Oberhofen (1999 ), MS sneezing (2001, since then Workshop ship ) and MS Harder ( Lake Brienz, 2000) and finally MS Spiez (2008, provisional). DS Lötschberg received extensive general revision with boiler replacement that caused a cost of over four million in winter 2000 /2001. In contrast, the Lake Thun motor vessel City of Bern has been since 1998 only reserve moderately used ( as already for two years on the transportation waiting on Lake Brienz Virgin ), as the " Blümlisalp " special course of 1992 ( with steam Award ) in 1998 out of the schedule was deleted and the steamer a previous motor boat tour was assigned. For the " Bern " first the conversion was provided to a two- deck ship as an alternative to the often abutting against capacity limits " Beatus ". Due to declining frequencies (on both lakes from circa 1995 ) this conversion is never realized and the ship was decommissioned in late 2004. Since then, it waits in the yard on the probable demolition. General were redone, instead, the motor vessels city of Thun (2004) and Stock Horn ( 2008). MS should Bubenberg (approx. 2013) follow next. As a result of timetable constraints (especially Brienz 2007 Thun 2011), certain ships rarely used, such as " low- Horn " and "Interlaken". The MS Oberhofen was sold to the retirement (1999 ) to Amsterdam. 2013 bought Kurt Matter back the MS Oberhofen and gave it to the BLS, which takes the ship from the spring of 2014 returned to service.

  • DS Lötschberg (capacity 800 persons, crew of six men, built in 1914 completely renovated, 2001)
  • MS Brienz (capacity 1000 people, crew of four men, built in 1981, tonnage moderately the biggest ship on Lake Brienz )
  • MS Virgin (capacity 700 people, occupying three men, built in 1954 for the Lake of Thun, Brienz and moved to the refurbished 1999)
  • MS Interlaken (capacity 550 people, occupying three men, built in 1956 )
  • MS Iseltwald (capacity 300 persons, crew two man, built in 1969 )
  • DS Blümlisalp (capacity 750 persons, crew of six men, built in 1906, set-aside in 1971 refurbished and returned to service 1992)
  • MS Berner Oberland (capacity 1000 people, four men crew built in 1996, the largest ship of the BLS ( trunk) should, with its modern architecture 1996 herald a new age shipping )
  • MS Stadt Thun (capacity of 1,100 people, occupying four men, built in 1971, refurbished in 2004, the largest ship of the tonnage moderately BLS)
  • MS Bubenberg (capacity 800 persons, crew of four men, built in 1962, general renovation date: approx 2013)
  • MS Stadt Bern (capacity 1000 people, crew of four men, built in 1956, set-aside in 2004 due to overcapacity after the reactivation of the " Blümlisalp ", an overhaul and re-commissioning are not provided at the time )
  • MS Beatus (capacity 600 people, occupying three men, built in 1963 )
  • MS Low Horn (capacity 500 people, occupying three men, built in 1959 )
  • MS Schilthorn (capacity 300 people, occupying two / three man, built in 2002 )
  • MS Stockhornstrasse (capacity 250 persons, crew two man, built in 1974, completely renovated in 2008)
  • MS Spiez (capacity 200 persons, crew two man, built in 1901 as a screw steamer, conversion to a motor vessel in 1952, temporary closure in 2008, general refurbishment and recommissioning possibly about 2015, the oldest ship in the BLS)
  • MS Oberhofen ( built in 1939, taken over by BLS in 1940, decommissioning in 1999, back in operation as of 2014 )

Bus operation

Further, the BLS operates via subsidiary " Busland AG " and various bus lines in the Emmental.

Types of business entity Regionalverkehr Mittelland SBB-CFF-FFS Re 420 BLS RABe 525 Wahlern Lucerne S-Bahn Italy Niederried bei Interlaken Unterseen Oberhofen am Thunersee
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