Montreux railway station (french: Gare de Montreux) is the largest of the
railway stations
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 ...
serving the
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
of
Montreux
Montreux (, , ; frp, Montrolx) is a Swiss municipality and town on the shoreline of Lake Geneva at the foot of the Alps. It belongs to the district of Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland, and has a population of approximat ...
, in the
canton of Vaud
Vaud ( ; french: (Canton de) Vaud, ; german: (Kanton) Waadt, or ), more formally the canton of Vaud, is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. It is composed of ten districts and its capital city is Lausanne. Its coat of arms b ...
,
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
.
All of the
SBB-CFF-FFS
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 ...
standard gauge passenger trains operating on the
Simplon line
The Simplon Railway is a line that links Lausanne in Switzerland and Domodossola in Italy, via Brig. The -long Simplon Tunnel (opened in 1906) is a major part of it. The line between Lausanne and Vallorbe is sometimes considered to form part of th ...
call at this station, which is also the western terminus of the
GoldenPass Line
The GoldenPass Line is a tourist-orientated train route in the Swiss Alps with its base in Montreux
Montreux (, , ; frp, Montrolx) is a Swiss municipality and town on the shoreline of Lake Geneva at the foot of the Alps. It belongs to the dis ...
narrow gauge
A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge narrower than standard . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and .
Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter curves, smaller structu ...
railway lines to
Zweisimmen
Zweisimmen is a municipality in the Obersimmental-Saanen administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.
History
Zweisimmen is first mentioned in 1228 as ''Duessimenes''. In 1257 it was mentioned as ''Zweinlixhenun''.
The oldes ...
and to
Rochers de Naye
The Rochers de Naye ( French, lit. "rocks of Naye"; ) is a mountain of the Swiss Alps, overlooking Lake Geneva near Montreux and Villeneuve, in the canton of Vaud. They lie on the range separating the basin of Lake Geneva from the valley of ...
.
History
Montreux railway station was opened in 1861, when the then
Jura–Simplon Railway (JS) opened the
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), ...
–
Villeneuve section of its standard gauge Simplon railway line to
Sion
Sion may refer to
* an alternative transliteration of Zion
People
* Sion (name) or Siôn, a Welsh and other given name and surname, including a list of people and fictional characters with the name
* Shion or Sion, a Japanese given name
Pl ...
. This line is now owned and operated by
SBB-CFF-FFS
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 ...
.
In 1901, the station became a
junction station ''Junction station'' usually refers to a railway station situated on or close to a junction where lines to several destinations diverge. The usual minimum is three incoming lines. At a station with platforms running from left to right, the minimum ...
upon the opening of the first section of the
metre gauge Montreux-Oberland Bernois railway (MOB), between Montreux and its higher altitude suburb of
Les Avants
Les Avants (Montreux) is a village in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It is located in the municipality of Montreux, in the east of the canton, in the district of Riviera-Pays-d’Enhaut. It lies north-east of the town of Montreux and east ...
. In 1903, the MOB was extended to
Montbovon
Haut-Intyamon ( frp, Hôt-Enque-amont) is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the district of Gruyère (district), Gruyère in the Cantons of Switzerland, Canton of Canton of Fribourg, Fribourg in Switzerland. The municipalities of Al ...
.
In 1909, the
Chemin de fer Montreux–Glion
Chemin or Le Chemin may refer to:
Arts and media
* ''Le chemin'' (Emmanuel Moire album), 2013 album by French singer Emmanuel Moire
* ''Le chemin'' (Kyo album), 2003 album by French band Kyo
** "Le Chemin" (song), title song from same-titled Kyo ...
opened the Montreux–Glion section of the
Montreux–Glion–Rochers-de-Naye railway line rack railway
A rack railway (also rack-and-pinion railway, cog railway, or cogwheel railway) is a steep grade railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with th ...
was opened, as an extension of the original line of
Chemin de fer Glion–Rochers-de-Naye, opened in 1892. It is now operated by
Transports Montreux–Vevey–Riviera
The Transports Montreux–Vevey–Riviera (MVR) is a Swiss railway company. It was formed in 2001 from the merger of four railway companies: the Chemins de fer électriques Veveysans, the Chemin de fer Les Avants-Sonloup, the Chemin de fer Mont ...
.
Location
The station is on a hillside above the lake.
Access to and from Montreux's main street, ''Grand Rue'', is by escalators, elevators and stairs. The ''Rue de la Gare'' provides access to and from the old town, which is divided from the lake shore by the standard gauge railway tracks.
Layout
The station complex is in many ways a rarity. Montreux is most distinctive for being one of the few stations in the world (and the only station in Switzerland) served by three different
track gauge
In rail transport, track gauge (in American English, alternatively track gage) is the distance between the two rails of a railway track. All vehicles on a rail network must have wheelsets that are compatible with the track gauge. Since many d ...
s:
SBB-CFF-FFS , MOB and MVR . Its having three gauges is something shared by
Gare de Latour-de-Carol-Enveitg
Latour-de-Carol-Enveitg ( Catalan: La Tor de Querol-Enveig) or Latour-de-Carol is a railway station in Enveitg and Latour-de-Carol, Occitanie, France. It is the current terminus of three lines.
France's SNCF operates TER (local) services on ...
in the French Pyrénées.
Second, access from the station building to the railway platforms is from the second floor, not the ground floor, due to the slope of the city, while the service facilities are at ground floor level, and access to the underpass can be found on the first floor.
Apart from these unusual features, the station also lacks a track 2. In the past, the designation track 2 was allocated to a passing loop not equipped with a platform. However, in 2006, as part of work done to increase the height of the platforms to , this track was provided with a platform and renamed track 1, and the former platform 1 was removed.
The SBB-CFF-FFS serves the main platform with track 1, and also operates track 3, which, together with the MOB tracks 4 (east half) and 5 (western half), serves a centre platform. Track 4 partially divides that platform in two.
Tracks 6, 7 and 8 serve a further central platform, which is similarly partially divided in two by track 7. Track 8, operated by the MVR, is situated underneath both a hotel and the MOB/MVR headquarters, known as the ''GoldenPass Centre''.
Whereas tracks 4 and 7 are used by regional traffic to and from
Fontanivent,
Sonzier and
Les Avants
Les Avants (Montreux) is a village in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It is located in the municipality of Montreux, in the east of the canton, in the district of Riviera-Pays-d’Enhaut. It lies north-east of the town of Montreux and east ...
, tracks 5 and 6 are for trains to and from
Zweisimmen
Zweisimmen is a municipality in the Obersimmental-Saanen administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.
History
Zweisimmen is first mentioned in 1228 as ''Duessimenes''. In 1257 it was mentioned as ''Zweinlixhenun''.
The oldes ...
.
Services
the following services call at Montreux:
Swiss Federal Railways
*
InterRegio: half-hourly service between and .
*
RegioExpress
RegioExpress (RE) is a fast regional train service in Switzerland, run by Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS) or other railway companies (such as TILO, BLS, tpf, transN, THURBO or RhB). It is comparable to the Regional-Express in Germany, ...
:
** hourly service between and (on weekdays) or Geneva Airport (on weekends).
** single daily round-trip between and St-Maurice.
RER Vaud
*
RER Vaud
RER Vaud (french: Réseau express régional vaudois) is an S-Bahn network in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It is centered on Lausanne and began operating in December 2004.
History
With the December 2022 timetable change the RER Vaud network ...
/ : half-hourly (hourly on weekends) service between and ; hourly service to ; hourly service to on weekdays.
Montreux Oberland Bernois Railway
* ''
GoldenPass Express
The ''GoldenPass Express'' is a luxury railway service that operates between Montreux, on Lake Geneva, and Interlaken, in the Bernese Oberland, in Switzerland. The train is owned and operated jointly by the Montreux Oberland Bernois Railway (M ...
'': daily round-trip to via .
*
Panorama Express
Panorama Express, abbreviated PE, is a special category of long-distance train in Switzerland. It was introduced with the December 2019 timetable change, and is generally used to denote Tourism in Switzerland, tourism-focused services. Examples of ...
/
Regio: half-hourly service to and hourly service to Zweisimmen.
* Regio: hourly service to .
Transports Montreux–Vevey–Riviera
* Regio: hourly service to .
PRODES EA 2035
As part of the strategic development program for rail infrastructure (PRODES), the Confederation and SBB are focusing on customer orientation and economical management of resources.
By 2040, nearly two million people will travel by rail every day, 50% more than today. In rail freight, the Confederation also expects traffic to increase by around 45%. The Swiss rail network will have to continue to meet customer needs: interesting connections, punctual trains, affordable tickets. SBB is committed to the sustainable development of public transport and takes on this responsibility vis-à-vis Switzerland.
Predicted service
Swiss Federal Railways
*
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 ...
:
** IC9: Half-hourly service between
Geneva Airport
Geneva Airport ,, german: Flughafen Genf, it, Aeroporto di Ginevra, rm, Eroport de Genevra formerly and still unofficially known as Cointrin Airport, is the international airport of Geneva, the second most populous city in Switzerland. It i ...
and
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 ...
.
*
InterRegio:
**IR95: Half-hourly service between Geneva Airport and
St-Maurice.
**IR98: Hourly service between
Annemasse
Annemasse (; Arpitan: ''Anemâsse'') is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Eastern France. Even though it covers a relatively small territory (4.98 km2 or 1.92 sq mi), it is Haute-Savoie's second ...
and
Aigle
, neighboring_municipalities= Vaud: Yvorne, Leysin, Ormont-Dessous, Ollon; Valais: Vouvry, Collombey-Muraz
, twintowns = L'Aigle (France), Tübingen (Germany), Bassersdorf (Switzerland)
}
Aigle ( French for "eagle", ; frp, Âgllo) is ...
RER Vaud
*
RER Vaud
RER Vaud (french: Réseau express régional vaudois) is an S-Bahn network in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It is centered on Lausanne and began operating in December 2004.
History
With the December 2022 timetable change the RER Vaud network ...
:
**: Half-hourly service between
Grandson
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
and Aigle.
Montreux Oberland Bernois Railway
*
Panorama Express
Panorama Express, abbreviated PE, is a special category of long-distance train in Switzerland. It was introduced with the December 2019 timetable change, and is generally used to denote Tourism in Switzerland, tourism-focused services. Examples of ...
/
Regio:
**Half-hourly service to .
* Regio:
** Hourly service to , with some trains continuing to .
** Hourly service to .
Transports Montreux–Vevey–Riviera
* Regio:
**Hourly service to .
Bus traffic
A total of three
VMCV bus stops serve the station:
*''Vernex-Dessus'' on motor bus lines 4,5 and 6;
*''Montreux Gare'' on motor bus lines 4,5 and 6;
*''Escalier de la Gare'' on
trolleybus line 1, access via escalators to ''Grand Boulevard''.
See also
*
Montreux
Montreux (, , ; frp, Montrolx) is a Swiss municipality and town on the shoreline of Lake Geneva at the foot of the Alps. It belongs to the district of Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland, and has a population of approximat ...
*
SBB-CFF-FFS
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 ...
*
Montreux-Oberland Bernois
The Montreux Oberland Bernois Railway (french: link=no, Chemin de fer Montreux Oberland Bernois, german: link=no, Montreux Berner Oberland Bahn, abbreviated MOB), is an electrified railway line that operates in southwest Switzerland. It is one o ...
*
Transports Montreux–Vevey–Riviera
The Transports Montreux–Vevey–Riviera (MVR) is a Swiss railway company. It was formed in 2001 from the merger of four railway companies: the Chemins de fer électriques Veveysans, the Chemin de fer Les Avants-Sonloup, the Chemin de fer Mont ...
References
External links
*
Goldenpass Services- official site
Interactive station plan (Montreux)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Montreux railway station
Railway stations in the canton of Vaud
Railway stations opened in 1861
Swiss Federal Railways stations
Montreux
Cultural property of national significance in the canton of Vaud
1861 establishments in Switzerland