Switzerland has an extensive network of
metre gauge railways, many of which interchange traffic (most prominent is the
Rhaetian Railway
The Rhaetian Railway (german: Rhätische Bahn; it, Ferrovia retica; rm, Viafier retica), abbreviated RhB, is a Swiss transport company that owns the largest network of all private railway operators in Switzerland. Headquartered in Chur, the Rh ...
). They are concentrated in the more heavily
mountain
A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually highe ...
ous areas. The
Jungfrau Railway
The Jungfrau Railway (german: Jungfraubahn, JB) is a mountain railway in the Bernese Alps, connecting Kleine Scheidegg in the Bernese Oberland to the Jungfraujoch, across the Valais border. The railway, which uses a and racks, runs from the s ...
terminates at the highest station in Europe.
Dual gauge (combined metre- and
standard gauge trackway
Historic roads (historic trails in USA and Canada) are paths or routes that have historical importance due to their use over a period of time. Examples exist from prehistoric times until the early 20th century. They include ancient trackways ...
) also exists in many areas. Also, nearly all street
tram
A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...
ways in Switzerland have always been meter gauge.
Gauge changing trains
Since December 2022, / gauge changing trains have started operating between
Lake Geneva
, image = Lake Geneva by Sentinel-2.jpg
, caption = Satellite image
, image_bathymetry =
, caption_bathymetry =
, location = Switzerland, France
, coords =
, lake_type = Glacial la ...
and
Interlaken
Interlaken (; lit.: ''between lakes'') is a Swiss town and municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Bern. It is an important and well-known tourist destination in the Bernese Oberland region of the Swiss A ...
.
Gauge Change Train
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 ...
is the location of the gauge change. While the carriage gauge is changed, the locomotives do not change gauge and they have to be interchanged.
See also
* 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
{{reflist
Rail infrastructure in Switzerland
Switzerland