Zweisimmen Bahnhof - BLS & MOB works

[melmerby]

Hi all

 

There seems to be a bit of work going on in the station right now.

 

The BLS tracks in the centre of the station have been lifted as have the MOB tracks that approach them (Golden Pass exchange track)

Anyone know what work is being carried out?

 

There have been ongoing works on the MOB approach to the station for some time where the two parallel approaches (Montreux & Lenk have been temporarily singled with some orange fencing cordoning off the lifted part of the Lenk track as well as some station sidings lifted a while back.

 

There is also work going on elsewhere on the MOB including a recently completed new halt as well as doubling in a couple of places.

A lot going on for a small railway!

 

Cheers

 

Keith

Edited February 27, 2016 by melmerby

[Frutigen]

There was talk of a gauge changer allowing through trains (like in Spain) but I've lost track of whether this is a live project or not.

[DIW]

I believe that the gauge changer is indeed scheduled to be built in 2016. I can't remember off hand the source of this information; it may well have been December's Swiss Express magazine. I expect that Dutch Master will be along presently with more information......

Edited February 27, 2016 by DIW

[melmerby]

There is/was a contraption between the metre and standard gauge lines which I thought was the gauge changer!

Probably just for trials.

 

Keith

 

EDIT this flyer says ready by 2018:

https://www.bls.ch/d/bahn/linie-express-goldenpass-tgp.pdf

Edited February 27, 2016 by melmerby

[Frutigen]

There were contraptions in place to allow standard gauge vehicles to load onto metre gauge trucks and vice versa, piggyback style. Not suitable for regular services. Here's one in use at Morges

[Frutigen]

And here's the other half of the system where freight originates on the metre gauge and needs to continue on the standard gauge. The standard gauge wagons ride on metre gauge skates. This is at Morges again.

 

[melmerby]

The Zillertal has standard gauge transporters for it's line in Austria.

 

Keith

[melmerby]

If there is to be gauge changing facilities at Zweisimmen is there also to be similar facilities between the BLS and the SBB at Interlaken Ost?

I understand the Golden Pass continues through to Luzern.

 

Saves having to provide metre gauge between Zweisimmen and Interlaken as originally proposed.

 

Keith

Edited February 28, 2016 by melmerby

[Joseph_Pestell]

If there is to be gauge changing facilities at Zweisimmen is there also to be similar facilities between the BLS and the SBB at Interlaken Ost?

I understand the Golden Pass continues through to Luzern.

 

Saves having to provide metre gauge between Zweisimmen and Interlaken as originally proposed.

 

Keith

 

Dual-gauge track between Zweisimmen and Interlaken would seem like an easier option than changing gauges twice.

[Oldddudders]

That part of the BLS was called the SEZ in my day. Spiez-Erlenbach-Zweisimmen.

[eastwestdivide]

There's a German press release from BLS here (PDF) https://www.bls.ch/data/medien/2015/20150811_MM_Modernisierung%20Bahnhof%20Zweisimmen_d.pdf

which says

 

Neben dem umfassenden Umbau installiert die BLS am Bahnhof zwei neue Umspuranlagen für den Trans-Golden-Pass, die eine umsteigefreie Fahrt von Montreux nach Interlaken ermöglichen

i.e. as well as the comprehensive reconstruction, BLS is installing two new gauge change devices at the station for the Trans-Golden-Pass, to enable through journeys from Montreux to Interlaken.

 

Plus a French press release here, which disappears if you change the language to English: http://www.goldenpass.ch/fr/goldenpass/offer/view?id=56

mentioning, from 2018: 

 

Un système de bogies révolutionnaire

which doesn't need much translating.

Edited February 28, 2016 by eastwestdivide

[Frutigen]

Some classes of AVE (those built by Talgo) do the gauge changing trick so they can reach destinations beyond the Spanish high speed network. Those based on French, German or Italian designs tend to be fixed gauge. I suspect the new Golden Pass trains will use some sort of Talgo technology.

[melmerby]

Some classes of AVE (those built by Talgo) do the gauge changing trick so they can reach destinations beyond the Spanish high speed network. Those based on French, German or Italian designs tend to be fixed gauge. I suspect the new Golden Pass trains will use some sort of Talgo technology.

They are to use an axleless bogie which can change the position of the wheels, unlike a Talgo where the wheels move on an axle.

See this Talgo demo:

 

Keith

Edited February 29, 2016 by melmerby

[eastwestdivide]

2008 article on the new bogie design here: http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/golden-egg-on-the-golden-pass.html

although it's missing the diagram "figure 1", and I'm finding it hard to visualise from the words alone.

[melmerby]

2008 article on the new bogie design here: http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/golden-egg-on-the-golden-pass.html

although it's missing the diagram "figure 1", and I'm finding it hard to visualise from the words alone.

It does explain why through trains to Luzern are not on the menu (at the moment!)

 

Keith

[The Stationmaster]

It does explain why through trains to Luzern are not on the menu (at the moment!)

 

Keith

 

But they could run to Meiringen of course - which might have a certain commercial value.

[eastwestdivide]

Successful trials on gauge-changing bogies at Zweisimmen reported in Railway Gazette International:

https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/mobs-gauge-changing-bogies-pass-test.html

 

Quote

Montreux-Oberland Bahn is on course to launch its long-planned through-service between Montreux and Interlaken on December 13 2020, following the completion of tests with specially-developed dual-gauge bogies and a gauge-changing facility at the break of gauge in Zweisimmen.

...

In January 2019 MOB took delivery of four prototype bogies and completed 550 trips through the gauge-changer in platforms 6 and 7 at Zweisimmen at up to 15 km/h with no failures.

...

 

[Joseph_Pestell]

Interesting but slightly weird. Are there really enough people making that journey to justify the expense when they could simply change train as they have for decades?

And while the carriages also adjust for height, they are very narrow for operation on 1435mm track so there will be a "mind the gap" announcement to be made, presumably in several languages.

[eastwestdivide]

The through journey, Montreux/Interlaken/Luzern, is heavily marketed as a tourist route, the "Golden Pass", so I guess they've done their sums.

Don't know about the platform gaps, but as it's Stadler, I'd expect extending stepboards (as I think they're also providing on those new trains for East Anglia).

[melmerby]

The still need to change gauge at again at Interlaken where the SBB has trains to the west on standard gauge and trains to the east on metre gauge.

If they ever want to go to Luzern without changing carriages/train

I haven't heard anything about a gauge changer there.

 

Edited May 21, 2019 by melmerby

[Joseph_Pestell]

56 minutes ago, eastwestdivide said:

The through journey, Montreux/Interlaken/Luzern, is heavily marketed as a tourist route, the "Golden Pass", so I guess they've done their sums.

Don't know about the platform gaps, but as it's Stadler, I'd expect extending stepboards (as I think they're also providing on those new trains for East Anglia).

 

Long journey to do in one go. When I visited these lines (a long time ago, 1975), we stayed in Interlaken and did them on separate days.

[melmerby]

9 hours ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

 

Long journey to do in one go. When I visited these lines (a long time ago, 1975), we stayed in Interlaken and did them on separate days.

Includes a gauge change at Zweisimmen, a train change at Interlaken and a reversal at Meiringen in the upcoming plans, so not an easy journey.

[eastwestdivide]

Picked up an article in Dutch (can't find an English version) saying that the opening date for the through gauge-changing trains has been delayed probably to 2023.

https://www.treinreiziger.nl/toch-nog-langer-wachten-op-directe-goldenpass-express/

Quote

Planning te optimistisch
.... Om een directe trein mogelijk bouwt Stadler speciale treinen die zowel op smalspoor als normaalspoor kunnen rijden. Maar de bouw van de nieuwe treinen duurt langer dan gepland. Al voor de coronacrisis werd duidelijk dat december 2020 te optimistisch was, en werd de lancering uitgesteld tot juni 2021.

Nu blijkt dat door de huidige omstandigheden juni 2021 ook niet meer haalbaar is. De Zwitserse spoorwegmaatschappij MOB hoopt de trein nu per dienstregeling 2023 te introduceren. Niet alleen de latere levering van de nieuwe treinen speelt een rol, maar ook de reizigersvraag. “De toeristische sector is zwaar getroffen door de pandemie en het zal enkele jaren duren voordat de vraag hersteld is” vertelt MOB woordvoerder Jérôme Gache.

key points -

Planning too optimistic

Construction of the new trains is taking longer than planned, even before coronavirus, it was delayed to June '21, but that's no longer possible. MOB hopes for 2023. Late delivery isn't the only factor, as the tourist sector is hard hit by the pandemic...

[melmerby]

English. courtesy of Google Translate (probably gets it mostly correct):

 

"Planning too optimistic ....

To make a direct train possible, Stadler builds special trains that can run on both narrow gauge and standard gauge. But the construction of the new trains is taking longer than planned. Even before the corona crisis, it became clear that December 2020 was too optimistic, and the launch was postponed to June 2021. It now appears that June 2021 is no longer feasible due to the current circumstances. The Swiss railway company MOB hopes to introduce the train now per timetable 2023. Not only the later delivery of the new trains plays a role, but also passenger demand. "The tourism industry has been hit hard by the pandemic and it will take several years for demand to recover," said MOB spokesman Jérôme Gache.

[Peter F]

Don't think it is in the plans to run these gauge changing trains east of Interlaken Ost. I suppose they could theoretically follow the Zentralbahn (formerly SBB Brunig) tracks as far as Meiringen, but after reversal the new bogies would also need to cope with the steep rack sections (Riggenbach ladder rack) over the Brunig Pass to Luzern. Carriages require a rack wheel for braking. That would be a further challenge for the engineering!