Basel SBB railway station (german: Bahnhof Basel SBB, or in earlier times ''Centralbahnhof'' or ''Schweizer Bahnhof'') is the central
railway station
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
in the city of
Basel, Switzerland
, french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese
, neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (BS), ...
. Opened in 1854, and completely rebuilt in 1900–1907, it is Europe's busiest international border station. Basel SBB is owned by the
Swiss Federal Railways
Swiss Federal Railways (german: link=no, Schweizerische Bundesbahnen, ''SBB''; french: link=no, Chemins de fer fédéraux suisses, ''CFF''; it, Ferrovie federali svizzere, ''FFS'') is the national railway company of Switzerland. It is usuall ...
(SBB CFF FFS). The other major railway station is
Basel Badischer Bahnhof
Basel Badischer Bahnhof (literally "Basel Baden Railway station", the name referring to the Grand Duchy of Baden State Railways, which built the station) is a railway station situated in the Swiss city of Basel. The station is situated on Swiss s ...
, operated by the German railway company
Deutsche Bahn
The (; abbreviated as DB or DB AG) is the national railway company of Germany. Headquartered in the Bahntower in Berlin, it is a joint-stock company ( AG). The Federal Republic of Germany is its single shareholder.
describes itself as the se ...
, on the north side of the
Rhine
), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source1_coordinates=
, source1_elevation =
, source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein
, source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source2_coordinates=
, so ...
from the city centre.
Trains operated by SBB CFF FFS use Basel SBB to link Basel with destinations within Switzerland and Italy, as do
Deutsche Bahn
The (; abbreviated as DB or DB AG) is the national railway company of Germany. Headquartered in the Bahntower in Berlin, it is a joint-stock company ( AG). The Federal Republic of Germany is its single shareholder.
describes itself as the se ...
Intercity-Express
The Intercity Express (commonly known as ICE ()) is a system of high-speed trains predominantly running in Germany. It also serves some destinations in Austria, Denmark (ceased in 2017 but planned to resume in 2022), France, Belgium, Switzerla ...
(ICE) trains to and from
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, Zürich and Interlaken, most
SNCF
The Société nationale des chemins de fer français (; abbreviated as SNCF ; French for "National society of French railroads") is France's national state-owned railway company. Founded in 1938, it operates the country's national rail traffi ...
TGV
The TGV (french: Train à Grande Vitesse, "high-speed train"; previously french: TurboTrain à Grande Vitesse, label=none) is France's intercity high-speed rail service, operated by SNCF. SNCF worked on a high-speed rail network from 1966 to 19 ...
trains to and from
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
, and some
regional trains
Regional rail, also known as local trains and stopping trains, are public transport, passenger rail transport, rail services that operate between towns and cities. These trains operate with more stops over shorter distances than inter-city rail ...
to and from
Alsace
Alsace (, ; ; Low Alemannic German/ gsw-FR, Elsàss ; german: Elsass ; la, Alsatia) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in eastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine next to Germany and Switzerland. In 2020, it had ...
. Additionally, the station is served by three lines of the
Basel S-Bahn ,french: RER trinational de Bâle
, image = Logo trireno black.svg
, alt = logo trireno
, imagesize = 180
, image2 = Basel 2012-08 Mattes 1 (283).JPG
, alt2 = S-Bahn train at B ...
.
The 1907
neo-baroque station building
A station building, also known as a head house, is the main building of a passenger railway station. It is typically used principally to provide services to passengers. A station building is a component of a station, which can include tracks, p ...
is a
heritage site of national significance. It also contains Bâle SNCF (shown in SBB CFF FFS online timetables as Basel SBB Gl. 30-35, and in other online timetables as Basel SNCF), which is located through a
border crossing
Border control refers to measures taken by governments to monitor and regulate the movement of people, animals, and goods across land, air, and maritime borders. While border control is typically associated with international borders, it a ...
and is used by other trains to and from
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. Directly outside the station building is the Centralbahnplatz, which is a major hub of the
Basel tramway network, and the Basel terminus of a direct bus service to the
EuroAirport
EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg IATA airport 3-letter codes for the French area, the Swiss area, and the metropolitan area, french: Aéroport de Bâle-Mulhouse-Fribourg, it, Aeroporto di Basilea-Mulhouse-Friburgo, rm, Eroport da Basilea-Mu ...
.
Location
The station area is situated at the southern side of the city centre, in an elongated area between the
Zoological Garden
A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility in which animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for conservation purposes.
The term ''zoological garden'' refers to zool ...
to the west and the to the east.
The borders of four of Basel's districts come together at the station area. However, the area is, according to the Statistical Office, divided between only two districts: the station itself is located in , while most of the tracks on the eastern side of the station (including the
goods station
A goods station (also known as a goods yard or goods depot) or freight station is, in the widest sense, a railway station where, either exclusively or predominantly, goods (or freight), such as merchandise, parcels, and manufactured items, are lo ...
), along with the Centralbahnplatz in front of the station (including the
BIS Tower), are attributed to the .
The Elisabethenanlage in front of the Centralbahnplatz belongs to , while the opposite Basel SNCF is part of the district.
History
Beginnings
![Bahnhof Basel 1845](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/Bahnhof_Basel_1845.jpg)
The first railway to reach Basel, the (StB; Strasbourg Basel Railway), arrived there in 1844. The following year, 1845, the ''Elsässerbahn'' (Alsatian Railway) built the first station in the Basel metropolitan area, within the city walls. Basel thereby became the first Swiss city to be connected to the new means of transport.
After the arrival of the railway, there was a passionate debate in Basel about the pros and cons of the railway and its possible continuation towards
Lucerne
Lucerne ( , ; High Alemannic German, High Alemannic: ''Lozärn'') or Luzern ()Other languages: gsw, Lozärn, label=Lucerne German; it, Lucerna ; rm, Lucerna . is a city in central Switzerland, in the Languages of Switzerland, German-speaking po ...
and from there through the
Gotthard towards Italy.
Meanwhile, the ''
Rheintalbahn'' from
Mannheim
Mannheim (; Palatine German: or ), officially the University City of Mannheim (german: Universitätsstadt Mannheim), is the second-largest city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg after the state capital of Stuttgart, and Germany's 2 ...
and
Karlsruhe
Karlsruhe ( , , ; South Franconian: ''Kallsruh'') is the third-largest city of the German state (''Land'') of Baden-Württemberg after its capital of Stuttgart and Mannheim, and the 22nd-largest city in the nation, with 308,436 inhabitants. ...
also approached Basel from the north; in 1851 it reached
Haltingen
Weil am Rhein (High Alemannic: ''Wiil am Rhii'') is a German town and commune. It is on the east bank of the River Rhine, and extends to the point at which the Swiss, French and German borders meet. It is the most southwesterly town in Germany an ...
(a district of
Weil am Rhein
Weil am Rhein (High Alemannic: ''Wiil am Rhii'') is a German town and commune. It is on the east bank of the River Rhine, and extends to the point at which the Swiss, French and German borders meet. It is the most southwesterly town in Germany an ...
), on the Swiss border.
In 1853, the ''
Schweizerische Centralbahn
The Swiss Central Railway (''Schweizerische Centralbahn''; SCB or S.C.B.) was one of the five major private railway companies of Switzerland. The SCB with a track length of 332 kilometres was integrated into the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) in 190 ...
'' railway company (SCB) was founded in Basel. Its purpose was the establishment of a link between the city of Basel and the economic centres of the
Mittelland cantons, and perhaps even also the expansion of the transport corridor from
Lucerne
Lucerne ( , ; High Alemannic German, High Alemannic: ''Lozärn'') or Luzern ()Other languages: gsw, Lozärn, label=Lucerne German; it, Lucerna ; rm, Lucerna . is a city in central Switzerland, in the Languages of Switzerland, German-speaking po ...
to the Gotthard.
The Viaduktstrasse in Basel – including the , which is adjacent to the Zoo Basel parking lot – was also the formation of the ''Elsässerbahn'' until 1902. Today, the viaduct serves tram lines 1 and 8, as well as motor vehicle traffic, and a plaque on the bridge railing recalls its earlier role as a rail bridge.
Provisional station
In 1854, construction on the future
Hauenstein railway line
The Hauenstein Railway is a major railway line in Switzerland connecting the cities of Basel and Olten.
The original line was built between 1853 and 1858 under the Unterer Hauenstein Pass, an ancient pass through the Jura Mountains, including ...
began. Right up until the opening of the first section of the route from Basel to Liestal, the controversial question of the site and design of the Basel railway station remained unresolved.
However, to accommodate the commencement of railway operations on 19 December 1854, the ''Centralbahn'' built a simple temporary timber structure, according to plans developed by chief architect Ludwig Maring. By the opening day, all of the temporary station buildings had been completed, including a timber
train shed
A train shed is a building adjacent to a station building where the tracks and platforms of a railway station are covered by a roof. It is also known as an overall roof. Its primary purpose is to store and protect from the elements train car ...
.
This modest provisional station, equipped with makeshift facilities, was made up of individual detached buildings and was used only for just under six years. The station site consisted of the
station building
A station building, also known as a head house, is the main building of a passenger railway station. It is typically used principally to provide services to passengers. A station building is a component of a station, which can include tracks, p ...
, a
goods shed
A goods shed is a railway building designed for storing goods before or after carriage in a train. A typical goods shed will have a track running through it to allow goods wagons to be unloaded under cover, although sometimes they were built ...
, a carriage and
locomotive shed
The motive power depot (MPD) or locomotive depot, or traction maintenance depot (TMD), is the place where locomotives are usually housed, repaired and maintained when not being used. They were originally known as "running sheds", "engine shed ...
and a
turntable
A phonograph, in its later forms also called a gramophone (as a trademark since 1887, as a generic name in the UK since 1910) or since the 1940s called a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogu ...
at the
railhead
In the UK, railheading refers to the practice of travelling further than necessary to reach a rail service, typically by car. The phenomenon is common among commuters seeking a more convenient journey. Reasons for railheading include, but are ...
. As the station building stood on the northeastern side of the station, alongside the
station yard, the station was not configured as a
terminus
Terminus may refer to:
* Bus terminus, a bus station serving as an end destination
* Terminal train station or terminus, a railway station serving as an end destination
Geography
*Terminus, the unofficial original name of Atlanta, Georgia, United ...
.
The provisional station served only as the starting point of the SCB lines, and had no connection with either the French station or the Badischer Bahnhof, which was opened in 1855 as the terminus of the Rheintalbahn.
Centralbahnhof
On 29 June 1857, the
Grand Council of Basel-Stadt
The Grand Council of Basel-Stadt (german: Grosser Rat) is the legislature of the canton of Basel-Stadt, in Switzerland. Basel-Stadt has a unicameral legislature. The Grand Council has 100 seats, with members elected every four years. Members of th ...
agreed to the construction of a link between the French line and the ''Centralbahn'' and the erection of a
through station
A train station, railway station, railroad station or depot is a railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passengers, freight or both. It generally consists of at least one platform, one track and a station building providing such ...
in the field in front of the ''Elisabethen-
Bollwerk''. The city bore the cost of the land purchase.
At the start of 1859, the SCB began construction work on the site of the new station, to a design by Maring. In addition to a passenger station, the new station yard featured a goods station relocated to the Gundeldingen district, and two new locomotive sheds, one of them for the SCB, and the other for the ''
Chemins de fer de l'Est
The Compagnie des chemins de fer de l'Est (CF de l'Est), often referred to simply as the Est company, was an early French railway company. The company was formed in 1853 by the merger of ''Compagnie du chemin de fer de Paris à Strasbourg'', ope ...
'', which had taken over the StB in 1854.
On 4 June 1860, railway operations began at the new Basel Centralbahnhof. However, it was not until May 1861 that all the new facilities were completed.
The Centralbahnhof was a
joint station
A union station (also known as a union terminal, a joint station in Europe, and a joint-use station in Japan) is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway companies, allowing passengers to ...
, with the northern facade of its station building facing the newly created Centralbahnplatz. On each side of the station building were the boarding halls, each with two tracks – on the eastern side for the Swiss trains and on the western side and for the French trains. To the south of the station building were the goods shed and two large warehouses, with an access road from the Güterstrasse.
In subsequent years, modifications were made to the Centralbahnhof to enable it to deal with its substantially increasing traffic, including trains entering and leaving Basel along a number of new lines:
* The
connecting line between Basel Badischer Bahnhof and the Centralbahnhof, which was handed over to traffic on 3 November 1873.
* The
Bözberg railway line
The Bözberg railway line is a railway line in Switzerland, running between Basel and Brugg via Pratteln, Rheinfelden, Stein-Säckingen, Frick and the Bözberg Tunnel. At Brugg it connects to Zürich via Baden and to the Gotthard Railway via th ...
, which was opened on 2 August 1875; built by the
Bötzberg Railway, a joint venture of the SCB and the ''
Schweizerische Nordostbahn
The Swiss Northeastern Railway (''Schweizerische Nordostbahn''; NOB) was an early railway company in Switzerland. It also operated shipping on Lake Constance (''Bodensee'') and Lake Zürich. Until the merger of the Western Swiss Railways into th ...
'', it linked Basel with Zürich via
Pratteln
Pratteln (Swiss German: ''Brattele'') is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Basel-Landschaft in Switzerland, located in the district of Liestal (district), Liestal.
History
Pratteln is first me ...
and
Rheinfelden.
* The ''
Jura Railway'', which, from 25 September 1875, formed a connection from Basel into western Switzerland and the
Franche Comté Franche may refer to:
*Franche, Worcestershire
Franche is a village in Worcestershire, England, just outside Kidderminster. It is served by two main bus services. These are service 297 operated by Arriva Midlands
Arriva Midlands is a bus op ...
, via its
junction
Junction may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Junction'' (film), a 2012 American film
* Jjunction, a 2002 Indian film
* Junction (album), a 1976 album by Andrew Cyrille
* Junction (EP), by Basement Jaxx, 2002
* Junction (manga), or ''Hot ...
at
Delémont
Delémont (; fc, D'lémont; german: Delsberg, ) is the capital of the Swiss canton of Jura. The city has approximately 12,000 inhabitants .
History
The area of the municipality was already settled in the middle Bronze Age. Fifteen urn buria ...
and branches to
Biel/Bienne
Biel/Bienne (official bilingual wording; , ) is a List of towns in Switzerland, town and a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the Biel/Bienne (administrative district), Biel/Bienne administrative district in the canton of Bern in Swi ...
and
Delle
Delle () is a commune in the Territoire de Belfort department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in northeastern France.
Delle is the last French town on the railway line from Belfort to Berne, in Switzerland. The railway station in Delle is served by ...
, respectively.
However, the Centralbahnhof eventually ran out of capacity to handle any further additional traffic.
In 1875, as a first measure of relief, the
marshalling of freight trains was relocated to a makeshift yard to the east of the station, on an open field known as "auf dem Wolf". At around that time, discussions began with the aim of lowering the tracks and replacing the troublesome urban
level crossings
A level crossing is an intersection where a railway line crosses a road, path, or (in rare situations) airport runway, at the same level, as opposed to the railway line crossing over or under using an overpass or tunnel. The term also ...
on the ''Elsässerbahn'' and at the Centralbahnhof. In 1874, provisional timber pedestrian bridges had already been built at Margarethenstrasse und Heumattstrasse; they were later replaced by iron structures. From 1879, the Pfeffingerstrasse passed underneath the station in a tunnel near the present location of the Peter Merian Bridge.
Finally, in 1898, following the referendum on the nationalisation of Switzerland's railways, the
Swiss Federal Council
The Federal Council (german: Bundesrat; french: Conseil fédéral; it, Consiglio federale; rm, Cussegl federal) is the executive body of the federal government of the Swiss Confederation and serves as the collective head of state and governme ...
decided to go ahead with the following:
* construction of a new Centralbahnhof on the existing site;
* lowering of the whole station area by ;
* relocation of the ''Elsässerbahn'' to a cutting, in a wide arc around the city;
* relocation of the entire freight and warehouse facility to the provisional marshalling yard at "auf den Wolf".
Provisional new Centralbahnhof
The definitive project for a new Centralbahnhof in Basel was developed in 1899. On 16 March 1900, the Federal Council gave approval to the plans.
The lowering of the whole station area and the access lines required careful planning. The first step was the relocation of goods traffic to the Wolf station, and on 12 May 1901 the Alsace line was reopened in its new lower position and wide arc.
On the vacated, lowered, area south of the original Centralbahnhof, the provisional station was built, and on 2 June 1902 it went into operation.
Access to the provisional station was also from the south, via Güterstrasse. To facilitate access, various streets were extended, as were two tram lines. The provisional station remained in operation until 24 June 1907. The provisional facilities and access roads were then dismantled and the two tram lines laid into Güterstrasse. A station underpass to Gundeldingen was built roughly in the location of the provisional access road.
In 1902-1903, the old station was torn down.
Basel SBB station
In 1902, the ''Schweizerische Centralbahn'' was absorbed by the newly formed Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS). The new station, which from then onwards was referred to as ''Schweizer Bundesbahnhof'' or ''Basel SBB'', was one of the new Federal Railways' first large building projects. Designed by
Emil Faesch and
Emmanuel La Roche, the new station was inaugurated on 24 June 1907.
The Basel SBB station building is characterized by its extraordinary length: Basel SNCF, with its customs facility for the international transit traffic, is "attached" to its western side. The asymmetrical layout of the station creates an external appearance representative of the federal buildings of the time. The station building is aligned to the centre line of the Centralbahnplatz, and features a huge glazed
tudor arch window between two clock towers under curved domes.
![11-11-24-basel-by-ralfr-283](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/49/11-11-24-basel-by-ralfr-283.jpg)
Behind the facade, one might suspect a terminus, but that is not the case in Basel. Through the entrances in the clock towers, travellers reach the ticket hall under a timber-lined steel-arch structure. Like the rest of the interior, the ticket hall is broad and high. Large murals dating from the 1920s advertise tourist destinations in Switzerland. The ticket and currency exchange offices are embedded in the side wall. The baggage check-in and hand luggage storage facilities were formerly also located here, but today they are in the basement, and accessed by means of an escalator and stairs.
![Bahnhofsbuffet-basel-2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0e/Bahnhofsbuffet-basel-2.jpg)
In the eastern part of the station, the baggage claim was formerly to be found where the travel centre is now located. The first/second class restaurants (now Migros) and the third class facility (now a brasserie/kiosk) were in the north west wing. The station was previously known for its station buffets, but these were gradually closed down in the 1990s. The high rooms, their walls decorated with murals, now house other commercial uses together with the sole remaining specialty restaurant.
A separate entrance, on the Centralbahnstrasse west of the Centralbahnplatz, leads to the Alsace-bound trains at Basel SNCF.
![11-11-24-basel-by-ralfr-286](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ee/11-11-24-basel-by-ralfr-286.jpg)
Initially, the
platform allocation at Basel SBB corresponded to the private railway age, because the platforms were separated according to the direction of travel. The station originally had 10 tracks, of which the three
bay platform
In the United Kingdom and in Australia, a bay platform is a dead-end railway platform at a railway station that has through lines. It is normal for bay platforms to be shorter than their associated through platforms.
Overview
Bay and islan ...
s 1 to 3 were previously reserved for local traffic. Tracks 1 to 10 are spanned by a five aisle train shed, which was created in 1905 by of Pratteln in Basel. The train shed is wide, and has a length of (tracks 1/2), (tracks 3/4) and (tracks 5-10). Track 4 goes through to Basel SNCF, where it becomes track 30 and the
catenary
In physics and geometry, a catenary (, ) is the curve that an idealized hanging chain or cable assumes under its own weight when supported only at its ends in a uniform gravitational field.
The catenary curve has a U-like shape, superficia ...
can be switched from the Swiss operating current of 15
kV 16.7
Hz AC to its French equivalent, 25 kV 50 Hz AC.
On the southern side of the station, a double track line, located at a lower level, connects the Basel and Muttenz marshalling yards with the line to France, and is devoted mainly to through freight trains.
![SBB Basel (Passarelle)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bd/SBB_Basel_%28Passarelle%29.jpg)
Due to the lowering of the tracks at the time of rebuilding, it was difficult to extend the station with additional tracks. On the South side, the platform system has nevertheless been augmented several times: tracks 11 and 12 have been added, the
pedestrian underpass
A subway, also known as an underpass, is a grade-separated pedestrian crossing which crosses underneath a road or railway in order to entirely separate pedestrians and cyclists from motor traffic or trains respectively.
Terminology
In the Un ...
has been extended to Gundeldingen, and, in 2003, the new Passerelle was constructed to the new tracks 14 and 15. These changes, together with the introduction of a
clock-face timetable in 1982 and the
Rail 2000
Rail 2000 (German language, German: ''Bahn 2000''; French language, French: ''Rail 2000'', Italian language, Italian: ''Ferrovia 2000'') is a large-scale project of the Swiss Federal Railways (SFR) established in 1987 to improve the quality of ...
project, achieved an increase in the station's capacity. Finally, in June 2008, the new tracks 16 and 17 went into operation.
The Passerelle is an element of the new SBB CFF FFS commercial concept known as RailCity. Designed by architects Cruz and Ortiz, it runs over the tracks from the ticket hall at the western end of the train shed to the district of Gundeldingen, and links the platforms with each other. A
walkway with shopping opportunities, it is long, wide, and replaced the pedestrian underpass. Today, the former underpass is used for operational and logistical purposes.
With the construction of the Passerelle, the RailCenter and the information display were relocated from the ticket hall to the former luggage hall. Additionally, the 1987-built customer service ticket pavilion in the ticket hall was removed, and since then the ticket hall has been able to unfold its ambience to its fullest extent.
Meanwhile, in 1998 and 1999, a new
signal box
In signal processing, a signal is a function that conveys information about a phenomenon. Any quantity that can vary over space or time can be used as a signal to share messages between observers. The ''IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing'' ...
was constructed on behalf of the SBB CFF FFS. The architects of this striking building were
Herzog & de Meuron
Herzog & de Meuron Basel Ltd.,
" Herzog & de Meuron. Retrieved on 11 October 2012. "Herzog & de Meuron Basel Ltd. R ...
.
Connections
Overview
![Basel SBB Train to Italy](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/Basel_SBB_Train_to_Italy.JPG)
About 1,000 trains depart from the station daily. Nearly every 90 seconds, a passenger train leaves or stops at the station. Additionally, freight trains still use the through tracks, and post office trains enter and exit the underground postal station.
International long-distance trains
An
ICE
Ice is water frozen into a solid state, typically forming at or below temperatures of 0 degrees Celsius or Depending on the presence of impurities such as particles of soil or bubbles of air, it can appear transparent or a more or less opaq ...
departs from Basel SBB every hour to
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
or
Hamburg
(male), (female) en, Hamburger(s),
Hamburgian(s)
, timezone1 = Central (CET)
, utc_offset1 = +1
, timezone1_DST = Central (CEST)
, utc_offset1_DST = +2
, postal ...
and a number of other German cities. There is also a daily ICE International connection to Amsterdam. Several times a day,
EuroCity
EuroCity, abbreviated as EC, is a cross-border train category within the European inter-city rail network. In contrast to trains allocated to the lower-level "IC" (InterCity) category, EC trains are international services that meet 20 criteri ...
s run to
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
, and
TGV
The TGV (french: Train à Grande Vitesse, "high-speed train"; previously french: TurboTrain à Grande Vitesse, label=none) is France's intercity high-speed rail service, operated by SNCF. SNCF worked on a high-speed rail network from 1966 to 19 ...
s to
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
. Night connections exist with Berlin, and Hamburg. There used to be a direct connection to
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
but as of 2014 this has been discontinued.
National long-distance trains
Several times hourly,
InterCity
InterCity (commonly abbreviated ''IC'' on timetables and tickets) is the classification applied to certain long-distance passenger train services in Europe. Such trains (in contrast to regional, local, or commuter trains) generally call at m ...
trains run to
Zürich HB
, neighboring_municipalities = Adliswil, Dübendorf, Fällanden, Kilchberg, Maur, Oberengstringen, Opfikon, Regensdorf, Rümlang, Schlieren, Stallikon, Uitikon, Urdorf, Wallisellen, Zollikon
, twintowns = Kunming, San Francisco
Zürich () ...
,
Bern
german: Berner(in)french: Bernois(e) it, bernese
, neighboring_municipalities = Bremgarten bei Bern, Frauenkappelen, Ittigen, Kirchlindach, Köniz, Mühleberg, Muri bei Bern, Neuenegg, Ostermundigen, Wohlen bei Bern, Zollikofen
, website ...
and
Olten
Olten (High Alemannic: ''Oute'') is a town in the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland and capital of the district of the same name.
Olten's railway station is within 30 minutes of Zürich, Basel, Bern, and Lucerne by train, and is a rail hub o ...
. At least hourly, Zürich–
Chur
, neighboring_municipalities= Arosa, Churwalden, Tschiertschen-Praden, Domat/Ems, Felsberg, Malix, Trimmis, Untervaz, Pfäfers
, twintowns = Bad Homburg (Germany), Cabourg (France), Mayrhofen (Austria), Mondorf-les-Bains (Luxembourg), ...
, Olten–
Lucerne
Lucerne ( , ; High Alemannic German, High Alemannic: ''Lozärn'') or Luzern ()Other languages: gsw, Lozärn, label=Lucerne German; it, Lucerna ; rm, Lucerna . is a city in central Switzerland, in the Languages of Switzerland, German-speaking po ...
–
Bellinzona
Bellinzona ( , , Ticinese ; french: Bellinzone ; german: Bellenz ; rm, Blizuna )is a municipality, a historic Swiss town, and the capital of the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. The town is famous for its three castles (Castelgrande, Montebell ...
–
Lugano
Lugano (, , ; lmo, label=Ticinese dialect, Ticinese, Lugan ) is a city and municipality in Switzerland, part of the Lugano District in the canton of Ticino. It is the largest city of both Ticino and the Italian-speaking southern Switzerland. Luga ...
, Olten–Bern–
Interlaken
, neighboring_municipalities= Bönigen, Därligen, Matten bei Interlaken, Ringgenberg, Unterseen
, twintowns = Scottsdale (USA), Ōtsu (Japan), Třeboň (Czech Republic)
Interlaken (; lit.: ''between lakes'') is a Swiss town and mun ...
/
Visp
Visp (french: Viège) is the capital of the district of Visp in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.
Geography
Visp lies in the Rhône valley, at the confluence of the Vispa and the Rhône, west of Brig-Glis.
Visp has an area, , of . Of ...
–
Brig
A brig is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: two masts which are both square rig, square-rigged. Brigs originated in the second half of the 18th century and were a common type of smaller merchant vessel or warship from then until the ...
, and
Delémont
Delémont (; fc, D'lémont; german: Delsberg, ) is the capital of the Swiss canton of Jura. The city has approximately 12,000 inhabitants .
History
The area of the municipality was already settled in the middle Bronze Age. Fifteen urn buria ...
–
Biel/Bienne
Biel/Bienne (official bilingual wording; , ) is a List of towns in Switzerland, town and a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the Biel/Bienne (administrative district), Biel/Bienne administrative district in the canton of Bern in Swi ...
–
Neuchâtel
, neighboring_municipalities= Auvernier, Boudry, Chabrey (VD), Colombier, Cressier, Cudrefin (VD), Delley-Portalban (FR), Enges, Fenin-Vilars-Saules, Hauterive, Saint-Blaise, Savagnier
, twintowns = Aarau (Switzerland), Besançon (France), ...
–
Lausanne
, neighboring_municipalities= Bottens, Bretigny-sur-Morrens, Chavannes-près-Renens, Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Crissier, Cugy, Écublens, Épalinges, Évian-les-Bains (FR-74), Froideville, Jouxtens-Mézery, Le Mont-sur-Lausanne, Lugrin (FR-74), ...
/
Geneva
Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...
can be reached.
Trinational regional trains
As a border station, Basel SBB is also aligned with regional services to Germany, France, and Switzerland. The
Basel Regional S-Bahn ,french: RER trinational de Bâle
, image = Logo trireno black.svg
, alt = logo trireno
, imagesize = 180
, image2 = Basel 2012-08 Mattes 1 (283).JPG
, alt2 = S-Bahn train at B ...
network ranges from Frick/Laufenburg in the east, Olten in the south, and Porrentruy in the west to Mulhouse in the north west and
Zell im Wiesental
Zell im Wiesental is a town in the district of Lörrach in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated in the Black Forest, on the river Wiese, 26 km northeast of Basel, and 32 km south of Freiburg.
The town is famous for being the b ...
in the north east.
Services
the following services stop at Basel SBB:
*
TGV Lyria
TGV Lyria is the brand name used for TGV railway lines connecting France and Switzerland. Lyria is also a corporation that runs the service using the staff of the SNCF in France and Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS) in Switzerland – ...
/
InterCity
InterCity (commonly abbreviated ''IC'' on timetables and tickets) is the classification applied to certain long-distance passenger train services in Europe. Such trains (in contrast to regional, local, or commuter trains) generally call at m ...
: half-hourly service to
Zürich Hauptbahnhof
Zürich Hauptbahnhof (often shortened to Zürich HB, or just HB; ''Zürich Main Station'' or ''Zürich Central Station'') is the largest railway station in Switzerland. Zürich is a major railway hub, with services to and from across Switzerland a ...
, service every two hours or better to , and every two hours to
Paris-Lyon.
*
Intercity Express
The Intercity Express (commonly known as ICE ()) is a system of high-speed trains predominantly running in Germany. It also serves some destinations in Austria, Denmark (ceased in 2017 but planned to resume in 2022), France, Belgium, Switzerla ...
:
** service every two hours to
Cologne Hauptbahnhof
Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 million ...
.
** two round-trips per day between
Hamburg-Altona
Altona (), also called Hamburg-Altona, is the westernmost Boroughs and quarters of Hamburg#Boroughs, urban borough (''Bezirk'') of the Germany, German States of Germany, city state of Hamburg, on the right bank of the Elbe river. From 1640 to ...
and .
*
EuroCity
EuroCity, abbreviated as EC, is a cross-border train category within the European inter-city rail network. In contrast to trains allocated to the lower-level "IC" (InterCity) category, EC trains are international services that meet 20 criteri ...
/ InterCity / ICE: half-hourly service to . Most northbound trains terminate in Basel; a single EuroCity continues to
Hamburg-Altona
Altona (), also called Hamburg-Altona, is the westernmost Boroughs and quarters of Hamburg#Boroughs, urban borough (''Bezirk'') of the Germany, German States of Germany, city state of Hamburg, on the right bank of the Elbe river. From 1640 to ...
, another to
Frankfurt (Main) Hauptbahnhof
Frankfurt (Main) Hauptbahnhof, also called Frankfurt Central Station and Frankfurt Main Station, is the busiest railway station in the German state of Hesse. Because of its location near the middle of Germany and usage as a transport hub for lo ...
, and two ICEs continue to
Berlin Ostbahnhof
Berlin Ostbahnhof (German for Berlin East railway station) is a main line railway station in Berlin, Germany. It is located in the Friedrichshain quarter, now part of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg borough, and has undergone several name changes in its ...
. Most southbound trains continue to ; one train every two hours continues to . Four EuroCity trains continue from Brig to .
*
EuroCity
EuroCity, abbreviated as EC, is a cross-border train category within the European inter-city rail network. In contrast to trains allocated to the lower-level "IC" (InterCity) category, EC trains are international services that meet 20 criteri ...
/
InterCity
InterCity (commonly abbreviated ''IC'' on timetables and tickets) is the classification applied to certain long-distance passenger train services in Europe. Such trains (in contrast to regional, local, or commuter trains) generally call at m ...
/
InterRegio: hourly service to and every two hours to or ; two trains per day continue from Lugano to Milano Centrale.
*
Nightjet
Nightjet (stylised as nightjet) is a brand name given by the Austrian Federal Railways ÖBB to its overnight passenger train services.
''Nightjet'' operates in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Switzerland. The ...
: overnight service between Zürich Hauptbahnhof and
Berlin Hauptbahnhof
Berlin Hauptbahnhof () (English: Berlin Central Station) is the main railway station in Berlin, Germany. It came into full operation two days after a ceremonial opening on 26 May 2006. It is located on the site of the historic Lehrter Bahnhof, ...
or
Hamburg Hauptbahnhof
Hamburg Hauptbahnhof (abbrev. ''Hamburg Hbf'') is the main railway station of the city of Hamburg, Germany. Opened in 1906 to replace four separate terminal stations, today Hamburg Hauptbahnhof is operated by DB Station&Service AG. With an avera ...
.
* InterCity:
** hourly service to .
* InterRegio:
** three trains per hour to Zürich Hauptbahnhof and hourly service to .
** hourly service to .
*
Transport express régional
Transport express régional (, usually shortened to TER) is the brand name used by the SNCF, the French national railway company, to denote rail service run by the regional councils of France, specifically their organised transport authorities. ...
(TER): half-hourly service to and in addition to some omnibus trains to .
*
Basel trinational S-Bahn ,french: RER trinational de Bâle
, image = Logo trireno black.svg
, alt = logo trireno
, imagesize = 180
, image2 = Basel 2012-08 Mattes 1 (283).JPG
, alt2 = S-Bahn train at B ...
:
** : half-hourly service to and hourly service from there to or .
** : half-hourly service between and and hourly service from Laufen to .
** : half-hourly service to .
Trams
* : Dreirosenbrücke – Bahnhof St. Johann Basel – Kannenfeldplatz – Schützenhaus – Bahnhof SBB/SNCF (– Kunstmuseum – Messeplatz – Bad. Bahnhof Basel)
* : Binningen Kronenplatz – Margarethen – Bahnhof SBB/SNCF – Kunstmuseum – Messeplatz – Bad. Bahnhof Basel – Eglisee (– Riehen)
* : Neuweilerstrasse – Schützenhaus – Bahnhof SBB/SNCF – Aeschenplatz – Barfüsserplatz – Schifflände – Claraplatz – Feldbergstrasse – Kleinhüningen – Weil am Rhein (D)
* : Dornach Bahnhof – Arlesheim Dorf – Münchenstein Dorf – Neue Welt – Dreispitz – Bahnhof SBB/SNCF – Aeschenplatz – Theater – Zoo – Binningen Schloss – Bottmingen – Therwil – Ettingen – Witterswil – Bättwil – Flüh (– Leymen (F) – Rodersdorf)
(longest tramway line of Europe)
* : Aesch Dorf – Reinach Dorf – Gartenstadt Münchenstein – Dreispitz – Bahnhof SBB/SNCF – Aeschenplatz – Barfüsserplatz – Schifflände – Volteplatz – St. Louis Grenze
* : Bruderholz – Jakobsberg – Heiliggeistkirche – Bahnhof SBB/SNCF Bahnhofeingang Gundeldingen – Heuwaage – Barfüsserplatz – Schifflände
Buses
* Bahnhof SBB/SNCF – Spalentor – UKBB – Feldbergstrasse – Bad. Bahnhof Basel (– Wettsteinallee – Tinguely Museum – Hoffmann La Roche – Wettsteinallee – Bad. Bahnhof Basel)
* Bahnhof SBB/SNCF – Spalentor – UKBB
* Bahnhof SBB/SNCF – Tinguely Museum – (Hoffmann La Roche –) Wettsteinallee – Bahnhof Niederholz – Bettingen Dorf
* Bahnhof SBB/SNCF – Schützenhaus – Gartenstrasse– Bachgraben
* Bahnhof SBB/SNCF – Brausebad – Kannenfeldplatz – EuroAirport
* Bahnhof SBB/SNCF – EuroAirport
In popular culture
The station entrance and a platform is seen in the film ''
The Cassandra Crossing
''The Cassandra Crossing'' is a 1976 disaster thriller film directed by George Pan Cosmatos and starring Sophia Loren, Richard Harris, Ava Gardner, Martin Sheen, Burt Lancaster, Lee Strasberg and O. J. Simpson about a disease-infected Swedish ...
'' (1976) which passes as the "
Geneva railway station
, neighboring_municipalities= Carouge, Chêne-Bougeries, Cologny, Lancy, Grand-Saconnex, Pregny-Chambésy, Vernier, Veyrier
, website = https://www.geneve.ch/
Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; ...
".
"Travelling in Switzerland."
myswissalps.com. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
See also
* History of rail transport in Switzerland
:''This article is part of the history of rail transport by country series.''
The construction and operation of Swiss railways during the 19th century was carried out by private railways. The first internal line was a 16 km line opened from Z ...
* Rail transport in Switzerland
The Swiss rail network is noteworthy for its density, its coordination between services, its integration with other modes of transport, timeliness and a thriving domestic and trans-alp freight system. This is made necessary by strong regulations ...
References
Notes
Citations
Further reading
*
*
*
*
External links
Interactive station plan (Basel SBB)
Station plan (Basel SBB)
(PDF, 1.9 MB)
{{Authority control
Buildings and structures in Basel
Railway stations in Basel-Stadt
Railway stations opened in 1854
Swiss Federal Railways stations
Cultural property of national significance in Basel-Stadt
France–Switzerland border crossings
1854 establishments in Switzerland