Transport services
The NRLA Lötschberg forms a complete system consisting of the new base tunnel and the hitherto high-elevation tunnel. The following types of train operate on this system:
Long-distance passenger traffic
SBB Intercity trains from Basel/Zurich to Brig (stopping at Thun, Spiez and Visp) operate in both directions at intervals of no more than one hour. In addition, there are six Eurocity connections each way between Basel and Milan.
Regional traffic
Regional access to the high-elevation route between Berne/Thun/Spiez and Brig is provided by hourly RegioExpress trains (Lötschberger) operated by BLS.
» More about the Lötschberg RegioExpress
Freight traffic
Freight is envisaged to account for no more than 110 cross-ings per day. About two thirds of these are directed through the base tunnel, with around one third travelling instead over the mountain route (mainly south to north). Three main types of freight trains use the Lötschberg axis:
Conventional wagonload traffic
Trains providing unaccompanied combined transportation (containers,
semi-trailers)
Accompanied combined traffic trains (rolling highway between Freiburg im
Breisgau and Novara)
The heaviest trains currently using the Lötschberg base route transport clay from Germany to Italy. These have a trailer load of 3250 tonnes and a length of 750 metres.
Car Transport
BLS car transport continues to operate on the mountain route between Kandersteg and Goppenstein. Scheduling is in accordance with demand: trains operate in each direction at intervals of no more than 30 minutes and at peak times, they operate every 7.5 minutes. The maximum capacity of the route is 180 trains per day. Between April and October, direct car-transporting trains also operate between Kandersteg and Iselle at the southern entrance of the Simplon tunnel.
Journey times (examples)
before |
since |
||
|---|---|---|---|
Route |
opening |
Time saved |
|
| Berne – Visp | 1:57 |
0:55 |
1:02 |
| Berne – Brig | 1:38 |
1:04 |
0:34 |
| Lucerna – Visp | 3:11 |
2:06 |
1:05 |
| Zurich – Sion | 3:19 |
2:32 |
0:47 |
| Zurich – Zermatt | 4:24 |
3:19 |
1:05 |
| Basel – Milano | 4:35 |
~ 4:00 |
~ 0:35 |
Number of trains per day and their speed:
Mountain route
| 34 Lötschberger trains | 125 km/h |
|
|
| 72-180 Car transport trains | 110 km/h |
|
|
| 40 Freigth trains | 100 km/h |
|
|
Base route
| max. 60 Freigth trains | 100 km/h |
|
|
| 37 InterCity trains | 200 km/h |
|
|
| 12 Cisalpino trains | bis 250 km/h |
|
|
