BLS AG

BLS AG is a Swiss railway company created by the 2006 merger of

BLS has a subsidiary—BLS Cargo—which is responsible for all freight operations. BLS Cargo works in cooperation with the freight subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn, Railion. However, the staff, apart from management and sales, is employed by BLS AG. Part of the BLS locomotive fleet is owned by BLS Cargo.

Another subsidiary, BLS Fernverkehr AG, is responsible for long-distance passenger transport. BLS Fernverkehr AG is wholly owned by BLS AG.

Infrastructure

In 2007 the new, 34.6-kilometre-long (21.5 mi),

BLS AG owns or operates on the following railway lines:

• Bern–Neuchâtel railway line
• Grenchenberg railway line
• Gürbetal railway line
• Hauenstein railway line
• Lake Thun railway line
• Lötschberg railway line
• Spiez–Erlenbach–Zweisimmen railway line

Rolling stock

Also see

• 3 x BLS Re 420
• 33 x BLS Re 425
• 18 x
  BLS Re 465
• 28 x BLS RABe 515
• 36 x BLS RABe 525
• 13 x BLS RABe 526
• 30 x BLS RABe 528 (+ 28 under delivery)
• 25 x
  BLS RABe 535
• 21 x BLS RBDe 565
• 13 x BLS RBDe 566

BLS Cargo has the following rolling stock.

• 4 x BLS Re 425
• 2 x BLS Re 456
• 10 x
  BLS Re 465
• 15 x BLS Re 475
• 20 x
  BLS Re 485
• 10 x BLS Re 486
• 1 x BLS Am 845

In 2010, 28 Stadler KISS EMUs were ordered; the first was delivered in March 2012. As of 2012^[update], BLS was planning to spend around 1·2bn SFr on new rolling stock by 2025, building a more standardised fleet with fewer different types of train.^[1] In 2017, 58 Stadler FLIRT EMUs were ordered, expected to enter service between 2021 and 2026.^[2]

Passenger train services

Since the merger, BLS has been the exclusive operator of the standard gauge part of the

BLS operates the following services:

S-Bahn Bern^[3]

• S1 Fribourg/Freiburg – Düdingen – Flamatt – Bern Europaplatz – Bern – Bern Wankdorf – Gümligen – Münsingen – Thun
• S2 Laupen BE – Flamatt – Bern Europaplatz – Bern – Bern Wankdorf – Gümligen –Konolfingen – Langnau i.E.
• S3 Biel/Bienne – Lyss – Zollikofen – Bern Wankdorf – Bern – Bern Europaplatz – Belp
• S4 Thun – Belp – Bern – Bern Wankdorf – Zollikofen – Burgdorf – Langnau i.E.
• Murten (– Payerne
  )
• S6 Bern – Bern Europaplatz – Köniz – Schwarzenburg
• S31 (Biel/Bienne – ) Lyss – Münchenbuchsee – Zollikofen – Bern Wankdorf – Bern – Bern Europaplatz – Belp
• S44 Thun – Belp – Bern – Bern Wankdorf – Burgdorf – Solothurn / Sumiswald-Grünen
• S51 Bern – Bern Stöckacker – Bern Brünnen Westside
• S52 Bern – Bern Brünnen Westside – Kerzers – Ins

S-Bahn Luzern

• Luzern
• Luzern
  (coupled with RE 7 between Wolhusen and Luzern)

RegioExpress (RE)

• RE 1 Bern – Spiez – Kandersteg – Brig (– Domodossola)
• RE 2 Domodossola – Brig – Visp
• RE 7
  Luzern
• RE 8 Spiez – Zweisimmen
• RE 9 Spiez – Interlaken Ost
• RE 11 Biel/Bienne – Lyss – Spiez – Kandersteg – Brig

Regional trains

(R)

• R 11 Spiez – Zweisimmen
• R 12 Spiez – Frutigen

InterRegio (IR)

• Bern – Olten
• Bern – Biel/Bienne
• Bern – Neuchâtel – La Chaux-de-Fonds

Car Shuttle Train (AV)

• AV 1 Brig – Iselle di Trasquera
• AV 2 Kandersteg – Iselle di Trasquera
• AV 3 Kandersteg – Goppenstein

BLS Busland

BLS Busland operates a fleet of 36 buses over a network that complements the passenger train services. The bus fleet comprises:

• Mercedes-Benz Citaro
• Volvo B7L

BLS Navigation

Brienzersee at Brienz

BLS owns and operates steamers on Lake Brienz and Lake Thun under the BLS Navigation brand. These steamers utilise the Interlaken and Thun ship canals.

• Blümlisalp, paddle steamer built in 1906

References

1. ^ "Railway Gazette: First KISS for BLS". Railway Gazette International. Retrieved 21 March 2012.
2. ^ "BLS selects Stadler for its largest rolling stock order". Railway Gazette International. 2 May 2017. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
3. ^ "S-Bahn Bern network" (PDF). Retrieved 2023-12-17.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to BLS AG.

• BLS AG