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BLS_485_006.jpeg
BLS Re4 class loco 485 006 at Mannheim, July 2004
The Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon (BLS) railway, known since the merger of the "old" BLS with the Bern-Neuenburg-Bahn(BN), the Gürbetal-Bern-Schwarzenburg-Bahn (GBS) and the Simmentalbahn (SEZ) in 1997 as the BLS Lötschbergbahn, is the largest standard-gauge network on the Swiss Railway system apart from the Federal Railways, SBB-CFF-FFS. The railway had not been built at the time that the Federal government took control of all the other Swiss standard-gauge railways in 1905 to form the Federal Railways.
The main line runs from Berne, the Swiss capital, through Spiez, and the Lötschberg tunnel to Brig, where it connects with the Federal Railways to enter the Simplon tunnel to Italy which it enters at Iselle di Trasquera. The line forms part of the Berne to Milan main line which the company operates in a joint operation with the Federal Railways. The company also operates extensive commuter services to and from Berne. In 1994 the BLS moved 9.2 million passengers.
The BLS network comprises 248 km of standard gauge track, all electrified at 15kV 16.7Hz.
External links
- BLS Lötschbergbahn AG (http://www.bls.ch)de:BLS Lötschbergbahn AG