To Malpensa last year we used the local bus from Gallarate think it was only about €1.60 left from outside the station the timetable is somewhere on the internet but there's at least one bus a hour. There are a few EC's stop there and lots of locals to/from Domodossla and you don't have to go into Milan.

Susan

At 18:56 +0000 18-06-12, Don wrote:

I don't understand why, but the Gotthard closure has resulted in the
Venice Simplon Orient Express private luxury train being diverted
over the Loetschberg summit route and the Simplon. To achieve this
with its heavyweight load, double headed Re460s are required.
Despite its name, it normally runs via Sargans and then over the
Brenner pass. Whatever the reason for its diversion, it has resulted
in a fine photograph of the train Luogelkin viaduct near Hoehtenn by
David Gubler, see:

<http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=400698&nseq=0>http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=400698&nseq=0

Locs must have been swapped in Brig as the train arrived in
Domodossola with different locos 460 .

Out of Europeanrail:

At 21:12 +0100 18-06-12, Martin Baumann wrote:

The Venice-Simplon-Orient-Express (VSOE) ran to Italy via Kandersteg
and Brig today due to the Gotthard closure. It was worked as far as
Domodossola by 460 101+460 020

The locos were returned to Brig on IR 2824 1648 Domodossola-Brig.
They were ahead of the train loco 11118 and all three were powering!
:

<http://www.bahnbilder.de/bild/Schweiz~Galerien~Extrazuge/606827/venice-simplon-orient-express-vsoe-aufgrund-eines-geroellsturzes-ist.html>http://www.bahnbilder.de/bild/Schweiz~Galerien~Extrazuge/606827/venice-simplon-orient-express-vsoe-aufgrund-eines-geroellsturzes-ist.html

<http://www.bahnbilder.de/bild/schweiz~e-loks~re-4-4-ii-re-420/606832/die-beiden-re-460-aus-dem.html>http://www.bahnbilder.de/bild/schweiz~e-loks~re-4-4-ii-re-420/606832/die-beiden-re-460-aus-dem.html

Theo

The Venice-Simplon-Orient-Express (VSOE) ran to Italy via Kandersteg and Brig today due to the Gotthard closure. It was worked as far as Domodossola by 460 101+460 020
 
The locos were returned to Brig on IR 2824 1648 Domodossola-Brig. They were ahead of the train loco 11118 and all three were powering! :
 
http://www.bahnbilder.de/bild/Schweiz~Galerien~Extrazuge/606827/venice-simplon-orient-express-vsoe-aufgrund-eines-geroellsturzes-ist.html
 
http://www.bahnbilder.de/bild/schweiz~e-loks~re-4-4-ii-re-420/606832/die-beiden-re-460-aus-dem.html

I don't understand why, but the Gotthard closure has resulted in the Venice Simplon Orient Express private luxury train being diverted over the Loetschberg summit route and the Simplon. To achieve this with its heavyweight load, double headed Re460s are required. Despite its name, it normally runs via Sargans and then over the Brenner pass. Whatever the reason for its diversion, it has resulted in a fine photograph of the train Luogelkin viaduct near Hoehtenn by David Gubler, see:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=400698&nseq=0

Don Newing

--- In SwissRail@yahoogroups.com, "martinbaumann112" <martinbaumann112@...> wrote:

The explosion was successfully carried out at 1230 local time today and SBB now plan to reopen the line on Monay 2 July 2012:

http://www.sbb.ch/sbb-konzern/medien/medienmitteilungen.newsdetail.2012-6-1806_45_4.html (German)

Video of blast:-

<http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/swiss_news/Blast_secures_key_north-south_railway_line.html?cid=32927212>

or <http://snurl.com/23zkzq3>

Robert
UK

Thanks for the update Martin. I am pleased things went ok. Lets hope SBB can get the infrastructure repaired in time for the July reopening.

Just out of interest, does anybody know what has happened to The SBB train staff normally based in Erstfeld during the closure. I know Erstfeld is not the hub it once was, but there must still be many staff based in and around The Erstfeld main shed ?

Thank you

Andrew Muff

Thanks IC2000 for sharing this press release with us. It doesn't make very comfortable reading.

I hope i am wrong, but i suspect international companies that use rail to transport their products throught Switzerland may look at other options.

The forthcoming maintenance issues on The Simplon route will not help.

Am i right in thinking that freight moved by ROAD cannot use Switzerland simply as a transit route. In other words, foreign lorries can deliver into and out of Switzerland but cannot for instance deliver a cargo which has originated in France and is destined for Italy, without making any deliveries in Switzerland.

IF this is the case, and its very likely i am wrong, for which i apologise, what other, if any options are there to move freight from Northern Eurpe to The South ?

Andrew Muff

Corrected response:

I inadvertantly attributed to Max Wyss a comment about Paris security.

To clarify, it is John Fleck's view of Paris security that I would suggest is unnecessarily alarmist.

I've passed through Paris with full baggase including all my travel and railway photography gear around 10 times in the last two years and not had any problems.

Most recently was just 10 days ago when I spent some time on various Paris suburban services carrying my full luggage from a week's SNCF photographic trip plus model `purchases' made earlier in the day.

Paris is no worse than any other populated location in the world. In fact the RER and SNCF in general has a (sometimes annoyingly so for photographers) high level of security presence these days with armed security and army personnel on patrol on the stations and in trains.

Turning back to the actual journey options,

Frankfurt/Main – Switzerland is definitely the most convenient of the three options mentioned. Nevertheless, I looked on DB/Hafas for CDG – Bern. One option is CDG – Lyon Part Dieu – Geneve ie one non-Swiss train change in Lyon, then another once you are in Switzerland. This would be a scenic and different alternative to what you have done before. This would be a minimum of about 2.5 hours longer than Frankfurt – Bern.
Another alternative is one service per day by TGV from CDG – Strasbourg, changing there into the 200km/h TER regional express services Strasbourg – Basel, about 2 hours longer the Frankfurt – Bern with a chance to sample the LGV Est Europeen.

The explosion was successfully carried out at 1230 local time today and SBB now plan to reopen the line on Monay 2 July 2012:

http://www.sbb.ch/sbb-konzern/medien/medienmitteilungen.newsdetail.2012-6-1806_45_4.html (German)

Apologies to Max, I should have said that it was John's comments that seemed a bit alarmist

Apologies accepted…

From the point of view safety and security, I see no increased
problems with either of the three airports and their links to the rail
network.

Max.

Sorry,

Apologies to Max, I should have said that it was John's comments that seemed a bit alarmist

Humble apologies

Newsletter Nr. 9 of BLS Cargo AG - Monday, 18 June, 2012 9:51 (Sorry,
but I can't find the link to this page)

Dear ladies and gentlemen

On Tuesday 5th June 2012 a landslide occurred on the Gotthard route
(Basel-Chiasso), as a result of which the line is completely closed to
traffic for several weeks. Whilst the line is blocked, we will do
everything we can, in liaison with our customers, to divert traffic to
the Lötschberg route. However, this means capacity on the
Lötschberg route will be stretched to the limit and congestion there
will probably be an on-going issue. As things stand at present, we do
not expect to be able to switch all Gotthard business to the
Lötschberg route. However, BLS Cargo will do its utmost to transfer
as much traffic as possible and at the same time, to keep any negative
effects of the increase in volumes on existing Lötschberg traffic
flows to an absolute minimum.

In early April we gave details to the press of how BLS Cargo performed
operationally and financially last year. In 2011 we increased
performance and were able to strengthen our position in the marketplace,
making us the leading railway for transit services through Switzerland.
Despite the problems of a weak Euro, we were able to close off the year
with a more or less balanced operating result. I am pleased to note
that, compared to its competitors, BLS Cargo held its own last year in a
challenging market environment.

However, there is little time to savour the success of the past year.
There are fresh challenges to be met, testing once again our ability to
act flexibly and to adapt to whatever situation confronts us. The state
of the infrastructure on the Simplon route and planning of services
during the three-year refurbishment of the Simplon tunnel are a current
source of much concern. Fortunately, we are able to draw on the long
experience and expertise of our planners to find ways with our customers
of running as many trains as possible despite the reduction in capacity.
But planning skills alone are not enough when it comes to last-minute
track closures, if there are no alternative routes available. It is a
big handicap, especially for our intermodal customers, that on the
important Rotterdam-Genua corridor, only the Lötschberg route can
accommodate 4m high loads. For this reason, BLS Cargo is pol itically
active in pushing for further enhancement of Swiss railways
infrastructure, in particular a 4m corridor on the Gotthard route.

Dr. Dirk Stahl, CEO <http://www.railfreightportal.com/Interview,73>


1. Financial year 2011: market position reinforced
BLS Cargo can look back on an eventful and challenging 2011: traffic
growth fluctuating sharply, further weakening of the Euro and
bottlenecks on the railway network were the defining moments of the past
year. In this context, BLS Cargo was able to present a virtually
balanced operating result and with a 43% market share, to become market
leader for transit services through Switzerland.

The 2011 annual report as well as documentation from the press
conference - press release and Dr. Stahl's presentation (german
versions) - give a more detailed overview of BLS Cargo's activities
during the past year.

2. New traffic flow Rotterdam (NL) - Frenkendorf/Rekingen (CH)
BLS Cargo has further strengthened its position in the intermodal
import/export market. Since the middle of April, we have been carrying
maritime containers for IMS from Rotterdam to the terminals in
Frenkendorf and Rekingen, traction in Germany and the Netherlands being
provided by ERS Railways. BLS Cargo now provides services connecting
Frenkendorf five times weekly and Rekingen four times weekly with
Rotterdam and the North German ports. Block train services to the Swiss
terminals constitute a major part of all intermodal import business.

3. Engineering work on the Simplon tunnel
One of the most important north-south routes through the Alps for
rail-borne freight traffic is the Lötschberg-Simplon route, which
includes the over 100 year-old Simplon tunnel. Roughly half of the
tunnel is situated on Swiss territory and half on Italian territory and
it is currently undergoing extensive restoration work. This is being
carried out over the next three years, sometimes involving considerable
restrictions for the transport of rail freight. Back in 2010 BLS Cargo
therefore began to study re-scheduling of services during the
refurbishment period together with other similarly-affected railway
companies. The aim was to produce a timetable for all types of traffic
(long-distance and local passenger services, car shuttles, freight),
which would be both workable and offer the greatest capacity.

During repairs, at least one quarter of the Simplon tunnel is always
closed to traffic. The reduction in transport capacity meant agreeing
requirements in advance with railway partners. In spite of the very
flexible response by all concerned, it was not possible to allocate all
train paths for the current 2012 timetable according to demand, which
led to an `auction' with paths being allocated to the highest
bidder.

Picture: Simplon tunnel closures
<http://newsletter.blscargo.ch/userfiles/image/Simplonsperre_e.jpg>

During August and September 2012, work on the tunnel will also involve a
50% tunnel closure, causing further restrictions to freight traffic.
Thanks to the slowdown in business during the summer months and advance
planning with customers, all BLS Cargo freight services will be
operated, albeit with alternative schedules several hours earlier or
later than normal.

Experience over recent months has shown that if there is sufficient time
to prepare, capacity constraints can be compensated for by good
planning. However, this becomes difficult if not impossible when line
closures are imposed at very short notice and this looks likely to be
the case later in August, when the spiral tunnel at Varzo (galleria
elicoidale) is due to be repaired.

Thus, the line will be completely closed at short notice during the
scheduled restriction period, involving even more planning gymnastics.
BLS Cargo will do all it can to transfer traffic to the Gotthard route.
However, this will not be possible in the case of intermodal traffic
involving high-capacity units, as the Gotthard route is not built to
accommodate 4m high loads. Some customers will therefore have no choice
but to suspend operations during the closure or switch to road, which
BLS Cargo deeply regrets.

4. Connections in the south: the challenges facing Italy
Switzerland has invested heavily in its rail infrastructure and has
eliminated many bottlenecks in recent years. It is crucial for the
success of the Rotterdam-Genua freight corridor that there is a good
infrastructure over the entire route, which is why Germany and
especially Italy are now under pressure to respond accordingly. From a
Swiss perspective, by the time the Gotthard base tunnel opens in 2016
and the Ceneri base tunnel in 2020, the approach routes in Germany and
Italy must be in a position to accommodate the increased volumes
generated by the Swiss infrastructure. As far as Italy is concerned, in
BLS Cargo's opinion, the following stretches of track need attention
in order to meet quality requirements:

a) Upgrade of the Basel-Chiasso-Milan corridor to accommodate 750m
trains within a 4m loading gauge by 2020.
b) Development of terminal capacity east of Milan in Milan, Brescia and
Piacenza.
c) Upgrade of the Bellinzona-Luino-Busto Arsizio/Gallarate line to
handle 700m trains within a 4m loading gauge in order to provide
existing terminals west of Milan (Gallarate, Busto, Novara) with
sufficient 4m high line capacity.
d) Implementation by 2015 of capacity optimisation measures to make
better use of the existing 4m route capability at the southern end of
the Lötschberg. Capacity could further be increased by developing the
Borgomanero line, expanding the Domodossola-Arona-Vignale route up to 4m
height and introducing a circular traffic route
Domodossola-Borgomanero/Arona-Novara.

5. Prototype last-mile locomotive on the move
In 2014 BLS Cargo will pioneer the introduction into commercial service
of three rental last-mile a.c. locomotives with built-in diesel engine.
The last-mile diesel enables an operator to dispense with the hitherto
necessary requirement for a change of locomotive at freight yards. The
new technology offers increased flexibility, for example at stations
where a system change takes place, at terminals, at ports or on factory
premises. There, the final metres of track, the so-called `last
mile', are generally not electrified. Previously, special shunting
locomotives have had to take over from electric locomotives in these
areas to close the gap in the chain. The new TRAXX AC3 locomotive with
its last-mile diesel engine will facilitate the seamless transport of
goods by rail.
The first prototype TRAXX AC3 locomotive with last-mile capability left
the assembly workshop at Bombardier's Kassel plant on 8th May and
was handed over for initial commissioning. A further two locomotives are
currently being assembled in Kassel and are due to be available for
testing in mid-August. This will enable various stages of the process
from commissioning through to approval to be managed in parallel.
However, before the locomotive can officially run on the railway
network, it has to undergo a thorough check, which comprises two parts:
1. The static part of the software acceptance programme currently taking
place involves testing of all electric and electronic systems, checking
of all functions connected with the switching on and off of the
locomotive as well as all driving and braking functions.
2. In mid-September, the dynamic phase begins with the first locomotive
being tested on the German test track in Wildenrath or in Hennigsdorf.
Once static and dynamic tests have been completed, the vehicles are
ready for verification and validation. Initial service tests with BLS
Cargo are planned for 2013, when the locomotive can show what it is
capable of under real service conditions.

Foto: Last-mile locomotive
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SwissRail/photos/album/382494797/pic/list\;

If you want to see for yourself what the locomotive looks like, you have
a chance to do so at Innotrans, the international trade fair for
transport technology, where the last-mile locomotive will be on show
from 18th to 21st September 2012 on Bombardier's stand at the Berlin
exhibition Centre.




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

The ICE service from Frankfurt Airport delivers you to Basel in about three
hours or you can change at Mannheim or Karlsruhe and pick-up one of the
loco-hauled services.

I can recommend a great model shop in Basel which is a short tram ride from
the SBB station. They have a huge stock which will test your wallet to the
limit !!

Their website shows some photos of the shop (spread over two floors) and
also has a complete list of their current stock.

www.berchersternlicht.ch

I have no link to this shop, just a satisfied customer.


Cheers

Simon

in Paris, the RER Line B train from CDG to
Gare du Nord runs through some unpleasant suburbs and you would have to
change to Gare de l`Est or Gare de Lyon for trains to Switzerland, so
Paris isn`t too safe or convenient either.

I often ride RER Line B and don't feel particularly unsafe.

If you arrive at CDG airport, you don't necessarily have go into Paris to
get to Switzerland. If you look in the SBB site for routings from "Aéroport
Charles-de-Gaulle TGV" to "Basel" via the TGV station "Champagne-Ardenne",
you will find a number of routings involving 1-2 changes at stations other
than Paris. These changes are within one station (sometimes on the same
platform), which tend to be less arduous than changing stations in Paris.

As for fares, you will often do better buying a Paris-Mulhouse ticket from
the SNCF site and a separate Mulhouse-Basel. Through Paris-Basel tickets can
be much higher and/or carry more restrictive cancellation conditions.

George

Considering the milage tickets I can use, I am limited to the following
3 airports as port of entry:

1. Frankfurt (FRA), Germany;
2. Milan (MXP), Italy;
3. Paris (CDG), France;

As John already stated, the hassle to get to/from MXP or CDG is way
bigger than to/from FRA, because in both cases, you'd have to go into
the main town, and may even have to transfer between stations, which
can be a hassle (in particular between the Gare de Lyon and the Gare
du Nord, where you would be using probably the busiest stretch of the
RER. There might be one possibility allowing to change TGVs in Dijon,
but then, you still have CDG…

Personally, of these three airports, I would favor FRA, where you also
have most flexibility, and probably also the most dense schedules to
Switzerland (a connection every hour).

Max.

I can see you would never visit Egypt and travel from Cairo to Luxor on a train.

Only Frankfurt Airport has direct trains to Switzerland out of the 3 choices
Milan, Italy should be ruled out completely as far as safety and
convenience are concerned and in Paris, the RER Line B train from CDG to
Gare du Nord runs through some unpleasant suburbs and you would have to
change to Gare de l`Est or Gare de Lyon for trains to Switzerland, so Paris
isn`t too safe or convenient either.

Sincerely,

John Fleck

Just back from sunny Switzerland (and rainy Austria/Slovenia), here are
a selection of pictures from the RhB Chur-Disentis centenary event this
weekend.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bantam61668/
<http://www.flickr.com/photos/bantam61668/%20>

Thanks in advance for looking,

Mark

On Sun, 17 Jun 2012 07:55:37 -0700 (PDT)
Andrew Moglestue <amogles@yahoo.com> wrote:

In any other context I would agree with that. But in my experience
of flying from Basel, everything about this airport is cheap and
cheerful. It's a completely different world than say, Zurich.

Regarding airports but a bit off topic...

I am trying to plan for a trip with the following purpose:

1. Railway Photography in Switzerland;
2. Model Trains shopping;

Considering the milage tickets I can use, I am limited to the following
3 airports as port of entry:

1. Frankfurt (FRA), Germany;
2. Milan (MXP), Italy;
3. Paris (CDG), France;

Unfortunately, Zurich (ZRH) is not an option. Out of the above 3, which
one would be the most convenient and safest security wise to transit
thru considering that I will be carrying:

1. Camera equipments /tripod etc... and
2. When returning, hopefully suitcases of modeltrains up to my luggage
limit (and of course to the limit of my wallet);

The above items would make me an easy target for snatchers / thieves
during transit/change of trains and on trains...

Last time I went thru Frankfurt without any problem and comfortably on
DB ICEs / CNL in and out of Zurich HB, but what about other choices?

Most likely will have a Eurail pass with me.

Advise appreciated.

--
Photographer Chris <photographer.chris@gmail.com>