Sidetracks... a miscellany of items Objekttyp: Group Zeitschrift: Swiss express : the Swiss Railways Society journal Band (Jahr): - (2009) Heft 99 PDF erstellt am: 27.09.2021 Nutzungsbedingungen Die ETH-Bibliothek ist Anbieterin der digitalisierten Zeitschriften. Sie besitzt keine Urheberrechte an den Inhalten der Zeitschriften. Die Rechte liegen in der Regel bei den Herausgebern. Die auf der Plattform e-periodica veröffentlichten Dokumente stehen für nicht-kommerzielle Zwecke in Lehre und Forschung sowie für die private Nutzung frei zur Verfügung. Einzelne Dateien oder Ausdrucke aus diesem Angebot können zusammen mit diesen Nutzungsbedingungen und den korrekten Herkunftsbezeichnungen weitergegeben werden. Das Veröffentlichen von Bildern in Print- und Online-Publikationen ist nur mit vorheriger Genehmigung der Rechteinhaber erlaubt. 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Due to Condensing Robin Oxborough's "Rail- the complexity of the work needed and the touring 2009" article to fit into in the June limited availability of national funding it was edition of the magazine resulted in the originally intended that the works would be contact details of Charters Helvetica (2008), programmed for a 2020 start. The funding the organisers, being omitted. from the Cantons should allow some 5-years be the and The company is run by Alan Spencer, an to cut off planning design process. SRS member, who can be contacted at 34, • Swiss travellers pay more? email Camp Street, Derby, DEI 3SD, by at In an apparent attempt to justify the high [email protected], or on 07933 509 987. cost of rail fares in Britain our Department of He has Switzerland tours to coming-up in Transport published a study earlier this year April and August next year. In addition to of fares in several European countries that Robin we understand that a number of other purported to show that fares in Switzerland members the have travelled of Society on were almost on a par with those in the UK. has previous trips that he organized. Up-to- This was widely reported in our mainstream date details Charters Helvetica of tours are media. Reading into the report it transpires often listed in the "Railtours Diary" in Todays that the comparison was only valid for Railways Europe as well as on their website. unrestricted day return fares over two • Zurich gains a "Luxury Lounge" distance categories; 17 — 40 km and 41 - 80km. In all other the fares From the 1st June 2009 passengers categories surveyed UK holding first-class rail tickets have been able were out on their own in expense. The report to enjoy complimentary snacks, coffee, tea, actually showed that trips under 17km in soft drinks, alcohol-free beer and internet Switzerland were comparable in price to other access in a new "Luxury Lounge" at Zürich mainland European countries, and that Swiss Hbf. Announcing the opening of the facility annual season ticket holders had some of the SBB noted that it was their policy that cheapest fares in Europe. What the report did discuss the fact that "Customers who pay more for their tickets not was some 300,000 less should also profit from a better service". If Swiss pay than £2,000 for an annual "go- ticket and another any SRS members get to use the lounge anywhere-by-anything" have perhaps they will report back. two million a half-price discount ticket so few the fares that the UK • High speed rail into Genève actually pay high Government chose to quote. As usual our lazy An historic agreement in April between media swallowed the spin without question. Cantons Vaud and Genève could lead to a If want cheap over-the-counter rail travel 2015 start on schemes to unclog the congested you Italy or Ireland, which unsurprisingly was rail line alongside Le Léman west of Lausanne. try not included in the study. Also in Ireland With Vaud putting CHF200 million and up (both north and south of the border) all Genève CHFlOOm as pre-fmance, work will resident over-60s have unrestricted free travel be able to start on upgrading the rail link to by train as well as by bus. allow more and faster trains. It is apparently the first time that two Cantons have come • SBB to audit litter levels together to promote joint infrastructure Following customer surveys that have improvements in neighbouring administrations, highlighted that litter levels on trains and in this work having previously been seen as a stations was one of the top three concerns for Federal prerogative. Due to an unprecedented regular travellers SBB is introducing sixteen economic boom in the whole of the Léman wholly independent "Cleanliness Detectives". area both the road and rail communication These people will travel the length and corridors are saturated during the rush hours. breadth of the system to audit the tidiness of It is the one area of the SBB network where what many outside Switzerland consider to 38 SWISS EXPRESS a miscell ny of ifëms be one of the cleanest railways in the world. causing over CHF 4,000 of damage. This The idea is that when these people spot station is just north of the original 2495m problem areas (or specific lines) where litter is Hauenstein Tunnel through the Jura that was seen to be a problem, they will report back to built by the British civil engineer Thomas management who will then commit Brassey. additional resources to tackle the issues that Gotthard Breakthrough have been identified. The President of Pro • It is reported that on the 16th June Bahn, the Swiss public transport users group, engineers working on the new 57km long has even suggested that in some places the Gotthard Tunnel broke through on the problems were as bad as on trains serving Amsteg to Erstfeld section nine months major British cities. Surely not! ahead of schedule. Opening of the complete • RAIpin make progress tunnel to traffic is scheduled for 2017. RAlpin the "Rollende Autobahn" operate Voralpen Express train service between Freiburg im Breisgau, • Following-on from and Finally in the Germany, and Novara, Italy, through last magazine we learn that the Südostbahn Switzerland. In 2008 they carried 85,106 (SOB) are now marketing the Voralpen Express trucks, a new record and 6% more than in totally themselves. One of their initiatives is a 2007. There would have been but the more, little booklet, which contains details of 44 strike in the SBB workshop in Bellinzona, attractions at places along the route. There is which specialises in the maintenance of their a "ticket" card attached to the inside of the low wheel bogies, held them back. Nevertheless, front cover. If this is stamped at the six main 5,375 trains were 283 more than in run, stations en-route (Romanshorn, St. Gallen, 2007, and they look forward with confidence Wattwil, Rapperswil, Arth-Goldau and to 2009. The economic climate should Luzern) over a two day period it can be encourage more road haulage operators to exchanged for either a CHF50 coupon take advantage of the benefits of carrying redeemable at stores in the Sherpa Outdoor their vehicles through the Alps by train. chain on purchases of outdoor clothing, • Missing maps rucksacks, etc, or for a Voralpen Express drinks On a recent trip to Switzerland one of flask. Get travelling! our members noticed that the SBB • Book Search apparently had removed the large maps Is there an out-of-print Swiss railway showing the full rail system that were usually book you need? Michael Farr notes that it is located the ticket machines. near Enquiries at worth checking the Swiss Rail Collector the ticket office of one station resulted in the website whose Dutch owner, Bart de Bock, suggestion that the member should purchase tracked down three titles he needed. He was the official rail Not do that map. wishing to able to supply two of them quickly and kept they then offered the that comes were map a look-out for the third for several months. with the "Generalabonnement", which is a Michael considered that the prices were fair larger version of the which with one comes and they arrived safely packed. The site also the Swiss Pass. apparently lists many metal models of Swiss • Problems on Stations prototypes and other miscellaneous Unfortunately Switzerland does not seem collectables to tempt you! To browse the immune to the mindless vandalism of railway website go to www.swissrailcollector.net. property that we get in the UK. For example overnight on the 21st and 22nd June vandals Information supplied by: Keith Scotland; attacked the station at Läufelfingen (BL) on Bill Weber; Michael Farr; Ron Smith; SBB; the quiet line SBB line from Sissach to Olten Swissinfo. SEPTEMBER 2009 39.