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Swiss railroads

Switzerland
Mh rhb 706 auf landwasserviadukt.jpeg
A Ge 6/6 II on the Albula Railway crossing the Landwasser Viaduct between Schmitten and Filisur
Operation
National railway Swiss Federal Railways
Major operators Swiss Federal Railways
BLS AG
Rhaetian Railway
Matterhorn-Gotthard-Bahn
System length
Total 5,323 km (3,308 mi)
Electrified 99%
High-speed 137 km (85.1 mi)
Track gauge
Main 1,435 mm/​4 ft 8 12 in standard gauge
High-speed standard gauge
1,000 mm metre gauge 865.7 km (537.9 mi)
800 mm 55.2 km (34.3 mi)
750 mm 13 km (8.1 mi)
1,200 mm 1.964 km (1.2 mi)
Electrification
Main 15 kV 16.7 Hz
standard gauge 3,773.4 km (2,344.7 mi)
metre gauge 865.7 km (537.9 mi)
Features
No. tunnels 612
Tunnel length 439.4 km (273.03 mi)
Longest tunnel Gotthard Base Tunnel 57.09 km (35.47 mi)
No. bridges 7558
No. stations 1735
Highest elevation Jungfraujoch railway station
 at 3,454 metres (11,332 ft)
Lowest elevation Piano di Magadino
 at 200 metres (660 ft)
Map
Swiss railway network
Map
Swiss railway network

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 on truck transport, and is enabled by properly coordinated intermodal logistics.

In 2015, with 5,323 kilometres (3,308 mi) network length, Switzerland has not only the world's most dense railway network (except for very small countries and city-states), but it is also world leader of kilometres traveled: 2,449 km (1,522 mi) per inhabitant and year. Virtually 100 % of its network is electrified, except for the few tracks on which only steam locomotives operate for touristic purposes. There are 62 railway companies in Switzerland. Share of commuters who travel to work using public transport (as main mode of transport) is 30 %. Share of rail in goods transport performance by road and rail (modal split) is 39 %.

Switzerland is a member of the International Union of Railways (UIC). The UIC Country Code for Switzerland is 85.

Three quarters of the Swiss rail network is at standard gauge, comprising 3,773 km (2,344.4 mi), administered mostly by three companies. Important railway stations are the Zürich HB (441,400 passengers per day on a working day), Bern (202,600 ppd), Basel SBB (112,900 ppd), Lausanne (107,100 ppd), Winterthur (105,200 ppd), Luzern (91,800 ppd), Zürich Oerlikon (84,500 ppd), Zürich Stadelhofen (81,100 ppd), Olten (78,100 ppd), and Geneva (70,700 ppd).

Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS) is the largest railway company in Switzerland and handles the majority of national and international traffic. It operates the main east-west track in the Swiss Plateau area calling all larger Swiss cities and many smaller ones, and the north-south routes through the Alps via the Gotthard Line (Milano-Chiasso-Lugano-Luzern/Zurich-Basel line) and the Simplon Tunnel (Domodossola to Brig-Lausanne-Geneva line).


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Wikipedia

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