Passenger Transport
Railway and Bus
With its 10 lines, the S Railway Bern operated by BLS AG is Switzerland's second biggest network of its kind. Added to this, BLS AG offers a wide variety of services in regional and tourist transport on a line network of about 700km in seven Swiss cantons, such as the RegioExpress trains from Berne to Lucerne, into the Emmental and – ever since December 2007 – across the traditional Lötschberg mountain route to Brig. Modern and safe rail operations are supplemented by the carefully coordinated bus network of our subsidiary, Busland AG. All in all, we transport some 45.1 million passengers a year – which makes BLS AG the Number One in Espace Mittelland regional transport.
» Learn more about the BLS railway network here
» Learn more about the BLS bus network here
Lötschberg/Simplon car transport
The Lötschberg mountain tunnel also constitutes an important connection between the Bernese Oberland and the Valais and Northern Italy with regard to road transport. Thanks to their special transport carriages, BLS car trains move motor cars, dormobiles, motorbikes, as well as lorries and coaches (up to a certain size) quickly and safely to the other side of the Alps. The route between Kandersteg and Iselle/Italy is operated from March until October, that between Kandersteg and Goppenstein all the year round – at peak times even at 7½-minute intervals!
» Learn more about BLS car transport here
Bernese Oberland navigation
BLS's 11 motor ships and 2 steam ships are equally popular with tourists and local people. With their reliable regular timetable and their varied special offers, they provide unforgettable moments in the Bernese Oberland from spring until autumn. Individual charter trips and celebrations on Lakes Thun and Brienz are no problem, either, and all our ships offer professional catering services, and MS Schilthorn also offers a modern infrastructure for seminars and training courses.
» Learn more about the BLS navigation here
Infrastructure (BLS Netz AG)
BLS Netz AG operates a standard gauge rail network of about 434 km. Important sections are the new Lötschberg base tunnel (34.5 km) and the Lötschberg mountain tunnel (14.6 km), which has been in operation ever since 1913. BLS Netz AG is also represented in the new train-path allocation body, Trasse Schweiz AG.
» Learn more about the BLS rail network here
Freight transport (BLS Cargo AG)
BLS Cargo AG specialises in freight transport within and through Switzerland, focusing on Alpine transit along the Lötschberg/Simplon and Gotthard routes with international block trains. Another important mainstay is constituted by block-train transport within Switzerland, particularly of mineral oil, coal, construction and excavated material. With a market share of about 40%, BLS Cargo AG plays a vital part in the field of Swiss transit rail transport.
» Learn more about BLS Cargo AG here
Workshops
Our workshops in Berne, Bönigen, Oberburg and Spiez are responsible for the technical safety of all BLS rolling stock. In addition, they carry out servicing and maintenance work, as well as all the modernisation and conversion work to our own and other companies' rolling stock and rolling-stock components. The four workshops employ about 370 specialist staff; another 80 employees are assigned to rolling-stock cleaning operations.
» Learn more about the BLS workshops here
Motive power department
The Motive power department provides BLS with flexible services in the fields of traction and vehicle technology. For instance, it coordinates the deployment of locomotives and personnel, and it trains new engine drivers in cooperation with the login training community. As a company that operates at a national and international level, BLS operates several locomotive personnel depots in the whole of Switzerland, especially also in the areas close to the national borders.
In pictures...
