List of railway companies in Switzerland
The following is a list of railway companies which operate routes on Swiss territory.
Standard gauge[]
The following is a complete list of all standard gauge railway companies which operate routes on Swiss territory. It also includes routes of foreign railway companies (e.g. Deutsche Bahn), but not routes of Swiss companies in neighbouring countries.
Not included are railway companies which do not operate their own routes (e.g. Cisalpino, Hupac or the former ) as well as operators of short connecting goods lines.
If there is no abbreviation shown, it means that this company always appears with its full name.
Companies in operation today (standard gauge)[]
Company | Abbreviation | Since | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Appenzeller Bahnen | AB | 2006 | Merger of Appenzeller Bahnen, Trogenerbahn (both meter gauge), Rorschach-Heiden-Bahn (rack, full interchange) and Rheineck-Walzenhausen-Bahn (1,200 mm / 3 ft 11+1⁄4 in) |
BDWM Transport | BDWM | 1997 | Merger of Bremgarten-Dietikon-Bahn and , narrow gauge passenger traffic, standard gauge for freight: Wohlen - Villmergen and Wohlen - Bremgarten West (dual gauge, still owned by SBB) |
BLS AG | BLS | 2006 | Merger of BLS Lötschbergbahn and Regionalverkehr Mittelland |
Chemins de fer du Jura | CJ | 1944 | Mostly narrow gauge |
Dampfbahn-Verein Zürcher Oberland | DVZO | 2000 | Bäretswil-Bauma, heritage railway operating since 1978 |
Deutsche Bahn | DB AG | 1994 | Operates railway lines around Schaffhausen and Basel, owned by the German state |
Emmentalbahn | ETB | 2014 | Sumiswald-Grünen–Huttwil Sumiswald-Grünen–Wasen im Emmental |
Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane (now called Trenitalia) | FS | 1992 | Passenger services: Trenitalia; only a few meters into Switzerland at Chiasso |
HBSAG | 2011 | Merger of former in Kleinhüningen and former in Au and Birsfelden. Freight only, 2 separate networks | |
OeBB | 1899 | ||
Österreichische Bundesbahnen | ÖBB | 1947 | from the Rhine bridges to Buchs and St. Margrethen, owned by the Austrian state |
Rigi Bahnen | RB | 1992 | Rack railway, very restricted interchange |
SBB-CFF-FFS | SBB CFF FFS | 1902 | Company since 1999, fully owned by the Swiss Confederation |
Südostbahn | SOB | 2001 | Merger |
Sihltal Zürich Uetliberg Bahn | SZU | 1973 | |
SNCF | SNCF | 1938 | train services to Basel and Geneva, no tracks owned |
Sursee-Triengen-Bahn | ST | 1912 | Passenger service discontinued, goods traffic only |
Tramway du sud-ouest lausannois | TL | 2012 | Métro and rubber-tyred metro, small profile, TSOL and LO until 2012 |
THURBO | 2002 | 90% Subsidiary of SBB | |
Transports de Martigny et Régions | TMR | 2001 | Partly narrow gauge |
Transports publics Fribourgeois | TPF | 2000 | Partly narrow gauge |
Transports publics Neuchâtelois | transN | 2012 | Partly narrow gauge |
Transports Vallée de Joux - Yverdon-les-Bains - Ste-Croix | TRAVYS | 2001 | Partly narrow gauge |
All companies[]
Company | Abbreviation | From | Until | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
|
ATG | 1998 | building company, subsidiary of SBB, no public railway tracks currently | |
BLS | 2006 | |||
BLS | 1996 | |||
BLS | 1907 | 1996 | ||
|
SFB | 1901 | 1906 | |
|
TSB | 1893 | 1912 | |
BB | 1872 | 1900 | ||
|
BN | 1901 | 1996 | |
|
GBS | 1944 | 1996 | |
|
BSB | 1907 | 1943 | |
GTB | 1901 | 1943 | ||
|
SEZ | 1942 | 1996 | Also known as Simmentalbahn |
|
EZB | 1902 | 1941 | |
|
SEB | 1897 | 1941 | |
RM | 1997 | 2006 | ||
|
EBT | 1942 | 1996 | |
|
BTB | 1899 | 1941 | |
|
EB | 1875 | 1941 | |
|
SCB | (1876) | (1883) | Section Solothurn-Biberist EBT |
SMB | 1908 | 1996 | ||
|
VHB | 1944 | 1996 | |
|
HWB | 1895 | 1943 | |
|
LHB | 1927 | 1943 | |
|
LHB | 1889 | 1926 | |
|
HEB | 1915 | 1926 | |
|
RSHB | 1908 | 1943 | |
|
CFEG | 1888 | Genève-Eaux-Vives–Annemasse, operated by SNCF on behalf of the canton. After construction of the Eaux-Vives–La Praille link, it will become the property of the SBB | |
CJ | 1944 | partly narrow gauge | ||
|
RPB | 1901 | 1943 | |
RSG | 1904 | 1943 | Narrow gauge since 1953 | |
Chemin de fer Vevey-Chexbres |
VCh | 1904 | Route leased to SBB | |
DVZO | 2000 | Bäretswil-Bauma, heritage railway operating since 1978 | ||
|
SBB | 1947 | (2000) | Bäretswil-Bauma, transferred to DVZO in 2000 |
|
UeBB | 1901 | 1948 | |
DB AG | 1994 | Around Schaffhausen and Basel, tracks owned by the German state | ||
DB | 1952 | 1994 | ||
|
SWDE | 1948 | 1952 | Under sequestration |
|
DR | 1945 | 1948 | Under sequestration |
DRB | 1937 | 1945 | ||
|
DRG | 1924 | 1937 | |
|
1920 | 1924 | ||
BadStB | 1855 | 1920 | ||
|
1862 | 1889 | Integrated into BadStB in 1889 | |
Ferrovie dello Stato |
FS | 1992 | Passenger services: Trenitalia | |
|
FS | 1905 | 1991 | |
|
SFM | 1885 | 1905 | |
SFAI | 1876 | 1885 | ||
AG |
2010 | |||
|
HBS | 1924 | 2010 | Kleinhüningen, St. Johann, freight only |
|
HBL | 1940 | 2010 | Au, Birsfelden, freight only |
|
KLB | 1886 | Passenger service discontinued, goods traffic only | |
LO | 1877 | Funicular before 1958 | ||
|
OeBB | 1899 | ||
ÖBB | 1947 | Around Buchs and St. Margrethen | ||
|
ÖStB | 1945 | 1947 | |
|
DR | 1945 | 1945 | Under sequestration |
DR | 1938 | 1945 | ||
|
BBÖ | 1921 | 1938 | |
|
ÖStB | 1919 | 1921 | |
|
KKÖStB | 1885 | 1919 | |
|
VB | 1872 | 1885 | |
Rigi Bahnen |
RB | 1992 | ||
|
ARB | 1873 | 1992 | |
|
VRB | 1969 | 1992 | Change of name |
|
RB | 1871 | 1969 | |
Rorschach-Heiden-Bahn |
RHB | 1875 | 2006 | Merged with Appenzeller Bahnen in 2006 |
SBB-CFF-FFS |
SBB CFF FFS | 1902 | ||
AS | 1874 | 1901 | ||
1875 | 1902 | |||
|
1894 | 1912 | ||
PLM | 1862 | (1894) | ||
LG | 1858 | 1862 | ||
|
VCh | 1904 | 2013 | Route leased to SBB |
|
GB | 1874 | 1909 | |
JN | 1886 | 1913 | ||
|
JBL | 1884 | (1886) | Neuchâtel-Le Locle Col des Roches |
|
JS | 1890 | 1903 | |
|
JBL | 1884 | 1889 | Neuchâtel-Le Locle Col des Roches to JN in 1886 |
|
BLB | 1875 | 1884 | |
|
BSB | 1861 | (1875) | Gümligen-Langnau |
|
1860 | 1861 | ||
|
JB | 1874 | 1884 | |
JI | 1857 | 1875 | ||
|
PD | 1872 | 1876 | |
|
BSB | 1861 | 1877 | Gümligen-Langnau to BLB in 1875 |
|
1860 | 1861 | ||
|
PV | 1886 | 1890 | |
|
SOS | 1881 | 1889 | |
|
SO | 1872 | 1881 | |
|
FS | 1859 | 1871 | |
|
LFB | 1858 | 1871 | |
GV | 1858 | 1858 | ||
|
OS | 1855 | 1871 | |
JE | 1870 | 1876 | ||
|
S | 1874 | 1881 | |
LI | 1859 | 1874 | ||
|
SCB | 1854 | 1901 | |
EST | 1854 | 1872 | Section Basel-St. Johann-Grenze | |
1844 | 1854 | |||
|
NOB | 1853 | (1881) | Section Suhr-Zofingen |
|
NOB | 1853 | 1902 | Suhr-Zofingen to SCB in 1881 |
|
SG | 1876 | 1885 | |
BR | 1865 | 1876 | ||
|
EH | 1876 | 1885 | |
|
1847 | 1853 | First railway company of Switzerland | |
|
SNB | 1875 | 1880 | |
ZZL | 1864 | 1891 | ||
|
STB | 1883 | 1921 | Original spelling Seethalbahn |
|
STB | 1904 | 2000 | |
|
TB | 1870 | 1902 | |
TTB | 1875 | 1917 | ||
|
UeBB | 1901 | 1948 | |
|
VSB | 1857 | 1902 | |
|
1856 | 1857 | ||
|
1855 | 1857 | ||
|
1853 | 1857 | Not to be confused with today's SOB | |
|
WR | 1876 | 1902 | |
|
WB | 1876 | 1901 | line leased to Bremgarten-Dietikon-Bahn in 1912, dual gauge |
SOB | 2001 | Fusion | ||
|
BT | 1910 | 2000 | |
SOB | 1890 | 2000 | ||
WE | 1877 | 1889 | ||
ZGB | 1878 | 1889 | ||
SZU | 1973 | |||
|
SiTB | 1892 | 1972 | |
BZUe | 1922 | 1972 | Change of name after bankruptcy of earlier company[1] | |
|
UeB | 1875 | 1922 | |
SNCF | 1938 | Around Basel and Geneva | ||
|
AL | 1918 | 1938 | |
|
EL | 1872 | 1918 | |
EST | 1854 | 1872 | ||
1844 | 1854 | |||
PLM | 1862 | 1938 | ||
LG | 1858 | 1862 | ||
Sursee-Triengen-Bahn |
ST | 1912 | Passenger service discontinued, goods traffic only | |
Tramway du sud-ouest lausannois |
TOSL | 1991 | ||
2002 | Subsidiary of SBB | |||
|
MThB | 1911 | 2002 | |
|
SBB CFF FFS | (1902) | (2002) | Regional services in north-eastern Switzerland |
TMR | 2001 | Partly narrow gauge | ||
MO | 1910 | 2001 | ||
TPF | 2000 | Partly narrow gauge | ||
GFM | 1942 | 2000 | Partly narrow gauge | |
|
BR | 1868 | 1941 | |
|
FMA | 1903 | 1941 | |
|
FM | 1898 | 1903 | |
|
TRN | 1999 | Partly narrow gauge | |
RVT | 1883 | 1998 | ||
Transports Vallée de Joux - Yverdon-les-Bains - Ste-Croix |
TRAVYS | 2001 | ||
|
OC | 1894 | 2000 | |
|
PBr | 1899 | 2000 | |
|
WM | 1916 | 1997 | † merged with BD to BDWM Transport on 31 May 1997 |
Narrow gauge[]
All companies[]
Company | Abbreviations | From | Until | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
AB | 1988 | |||
|
AB | 1885 | 1988 | |
|
AWW | 1940 | 1947 | Name change |
|
SB | 1912 | 1939 | |
|
SLB | 1875 | 1885 | |
|
SGA | 1947 | 1988 | |
AG | 1911 | 1947 | ||
|
SGA | 1931 | 1947 | |
|
ASt | 1889 | 1931 | |
|
TB | 1903 | ||
|
VBSG | 1950 | 1957 | Tramway discontinued, section to TB |
|
TrStG | 1897 | 1950 | † 1 October 1957 |
|
RHB | 1875 | 2006 | Standard gauge |
|
RhW | 1896 | 1,200 mm (47.2 in) gauge, now part of Appenzell Railways | |
ASm | 1999 | Merger | ||
BTI | 1945 | 1999 | ||
SLB | 1916 | 1945 | ||
|
RVO | 1990 | 1999 | |
|
OJB | 1958 | 1990 | |
|
LJB | 1907 | 1958 | |
|
LMB | 1917 | 1958 | |
|
SNB | 1918 | 1999 | |
BAM | 1895 | |||
|
AL | 1896 | 1899 | |
Museumsbahn Blonay-Chamby |
BC | 1968 | ||
CEV | 1902 | (1968) | Blonay-Chamby to BC in 1968 | |
BDWM | 2000 | Merger with WM | ||
|
BD | 1902 | 2000 | |
BLM | 1891 | |||
BLT | 1974 | |||
|
BEB | 1902 | 1974 | |
|
BTB | 1887 | 1974 | |
|
BUeB | 1921 | 1974 | |
|
TBA | 1907 | 1974 | |
|
BMB | 1913 | 1940 | † 30 June 1940 |
Berner Oberland Bahn |
BOB | 1890 | ||
|
SPB | 1893 | 1895 | |
Brienz-Rothorn-Bahn |
BRB | 1892 | ||
CJ | 1944 | |||
|
CTN | 1927 | 1943 | |
|
TBN | 1913 | 1927 | |
|
TT | 1884 | 1927 | |
RSG | 1904 | 1943 | Standard gauge before 1953 | |
SC | 1892 | 1943 | ||
Clarens-Chailly-Blonay |
CCB | 1911 | 1955 | |
Dampfbahn Furka-Bergstrecke |
DFB | 1987 | ||
|
FO | 1925 | (1987) | Section Gletsch-Furka |
|
FO | 1925 | (1989) | Section Furka-Realp |
Ferrovie Autolinee Regionali Ticinesi |
FART | 1961 | Change of name | |
|
FRT | 1923 | 1961 | |
|
LPB | 1907 | 1948 | † 29 November 1965 |
|
STL | 1908 | 1922 | † 30 April 1960 |
Forchbahn |
FB | 1912 | ||
Ferrovia Lugano-Cadro-Dino |
LCD | 1911 | 1970 | |
Ferrovia Lugano-Ponte Tresa |
FLP | 1912 | ||
Ferrovia Lugano-Tesserete |
LT | 1909 | 1967 | |
Ferrovia Biasca-Acquarossa |
BA | 1911 | 1973 | |
Ferrovia Mesolcinese |
FM | 2003 | Heritage railway (since 1995) | |
RhB | 1895 | (2003) | Castione-Cama to Ferrovia Mesolcinese | |
|
BM | 1907 | 1941 | Bellinzona-Castione -Cama-Mesocco |
Frauenfeld-Wil-Bahn |
FW | 1887 | ||
Gornergrat-Monte Rosa-Bahnen |
GGB | 1997 | Change of name | |
|
GGB | 1889 | 1997 | |
Jungfraubahn |
JB | 1898 | ||
Chemin de fer Lausanne-Echallens-Bercher |
LEB | 1913 | ||
|
CV | 1889 | 1912 | |
|
LE | 1873 | 1912 | |
|
LLB | 1915 | 1967 | † 27. Mai 1967 |
Matterhorn-Gotthard-Bahn |
MGB | 2003 | Fusion | |
BVZ | 1991 | 2002 | Change of name | |
|
BVZ | 1961 | 1991 | Change of name |
|
VZ | 1890 | 1961, | now BVZ Zermatt-Bahn |
|
FO | 1925 | 2002 | |
|
BFD | 1915 | 1925 | |
SchB | 1917 | 1961 | ||
Meiringen-Innertkirchen Bahn |
MIB | 1946 | Change of name | |
KWO | 1926 | 1946 | ||
Ferrovia Monte Generoso |
MG | 1890 | Owned by the Migros group | |
Montreux-Oberland Bernois-Bahn |
MOB | 1901 | ||
Transports Montreux-Vevey-Riviera |
MVR | 2001 | Merger | |
CEV | 1902 | 2001 | Partial discontinuations | |
|
MTGN | 1992 | 2001 | |
|
MGN | 1987 | 1991 | |
|
GN | 1892 | 1986 | |
|
MGl | 1909 | 1986 | |
|
TG | 1883 | 1991 | |
Nyon-St-Cergue-Morez |
NStCM | 1916 | End of the line in La Cure (Swiss-French border) since 1958 | |
Pilatusbahn |
PB | 1889 | ||
RBS | 1984 | |||
|
SZB | 1922 | 1983 | |
|
BZB | 1912 | 1921 | |
|
ESB | 1916 | 1921 | |
|
VBW | 1927 | 1983 | |
|
BWB | 1907 | 1926 | |
|
BMGWB | 1898 | 1907 | |
|
WT | 1913 | 1926 | |
RhB | 1895 | |||
|
BB | 1908 | 1942 | |
|
BM | 1907 | 1941 | † 27. Mai 1972 Bellinzona-Castione † 9 December 1979 Cama-Mesocco Remainder to Ferrovia Mesolcinese in 2003 |
|
ChA | 1914 | 1941 | |
LD | 1889 | 1895 | ||
Rigi-Scheidegg-Bahn |
RSB | 1874 | 1931 | † 31 December 1942 |
Sernftalbahn |
SeTB | 1905 | 1969 | † 31. Mai 1969 |
|
SSIF | (1912) | Joint operation with FART | |
|
TP | 1898 | 1912 | † 11 November 1912 |
TMR | 2001 | Partly standard gauge | ||
MC | 1906 | 2001 | ||
TPC | 1977 | Collaboration | ||
|
AL | 1900 | ||
|
AOMC | 1946 | ||
|
AOM | 1907 | 1945 | |
MCM | 1908 | 1945 | ||
|
ASD | 1913 | ||
|
BVB | 1943 | ||
|
BGVC | 1906 | 1942 | |
|
BGV | 1898 | 1906 | |
|
VB | 1913 | 1942 | |
TPF | 2000 | Partly standard gauge | ||
GFM | 1942 | 2000 | Partly standard gauge | |
CEG | 1903 | 1941 | ||
CBM | ||||
CP | 1901 | 1907 | ||
Transports Vallée de Joux - Yverdon-les-Bains - Ste-Croix |
TRAVYS | 2001 | Partly standard gauge | |
|
YSteC | 1893 | 2000 | |
transN | 2012 | Partly standard gauge | ||
|
TRN | 1999 | 2012 | Partly standard gauge |
Uster-Oetwil Bahn |
UOe | 1909 | 1949 | † 1 October 1949 |
Wengernalpbahn |
WAB | 1893 | ||
Waldenburgerbahn[1] |
WB | 1880 | ||
Wetzikon-Meilen Bahn |
WMB | 1903 | 1950 | † 13 May 1950 |
Wynental- und Suhrentalbahn |
WSB | 1957 | Marketing name since 2002: | |
AS | 1901 | 1956 | ||
|
WTB | 1904 | 1956 | |
ZB | 2005 | Merger | ||
|
LSE | 1964 | 2005 | |
|
StEB | 1898 | 1964 | |
SBB | (1903) | (2005) | Interlaken-Luzern since 1914 | |
|
JS | 1890 | 1903 | Brienz-Luzern |
|
JBL | (1888) | 1889 | Brienz-Alpnachstad |
External links[]
- RAIL-INFO SWITZERLAND (in English)
Tramways[]
- BLT Baselland Transport AG (Basel)
- BVB Basler Verkehrs-Betriebe (Basel)
- RiT Riffelalptram (Zermatt)
- SVB BERNMOBIL Städtische Verkehrsbetriebe Bern (Bern)
- TN (Neuchâtel)
- TPG Transports Publics Genevois (Geneva)
Company | Abbreviation | From | Until | Notes |
VBZ | 1950 | Change of name | ||
StStZ | 1896 | 1950 | ||
|
(ZStG) | 1882 | 1896 | |
|
EStZ | 1894 | 1896 | |
|
ISZ | 1898 | 1902 | |
|
ZZB | 1895 | 1905 | |
|
StZH | 1898 | 1923 | |
|
AGB | 1907 | 1925 | |
|
ZOeS | 1897 | 1931 | |
|
LSB | 1900 | 1931 |
Closed or merged[]
- ABB (later RhStB)
- AF Strassenbahn Altdorf-Flüelen (closed 26 March 1951)
- CBV Tramway Chillon-Byron-Villeneuve (later VMCV)
- ESZ (closed 21 May 1955)
- MRA Trambahn Meiringen-Reichenbach-Aareschlucht (closed 16 September 1956)
- RhStB (later RhV)
- RhV (closed 2 June 1973)
- SSS (later SStB)
- SStB (closed 15 December 1963)
- StrStM (closed 18 September 1932)
- SchSt (closed 6 March 1970)
- StSS (closed 1 October 1964)
- StSt (closed)
- StStW (closed 2 November 1951)
- STI Steffisburg-Thun-Interlaken (closed 31 May 1958)
- STL (closed 30 April 1960)
- SVB (closed 25 September 1960)
- (TB) Tramway Bellavista (closed 31 October 1913)
- TC (closed 15 June 1950)
- TEL Tram Lugano (closed 17 December 1959)
- TEM Tram Mendrisio (closed 31 December 1950)
- TF (closed 1 April 1965)
- TL Tramways lausannois (closed 6 January 1964)
- TP (closed 11 November 1912)
- TrB (closed 9 December 1948)
- TrL (closed 11 November 1961)
- TrMB (closed 31 December 1956)
- TStG (closed 1 October 1957)
- UOeB Uster-Oetwil-Bahn (closed 10 January 1949)
- VMC Tramway Vevey-Montreux-Chillon (later VMCV)
- VMCV Tramway Vevey-Montreux-Chillon-Villeneuve (closed 19 January 1958)
- WMB Wetzikon-Meilen-Bahn (closed 13 May 1950)
- ZBB (closed 10 May 1959)
See also[]
- Rail transport in Switzerland
- History of rail transport in Switzerland
- List of railway companies
- Mountain railways in Switzerland
- Rack railways in Switzerland
References[]
- ^ "Geschichte der Uetlibergbahn" [History of the Uetlibergbahn] (PDF) (in German). SZU. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-31. Retrieved 2011-09-05.
External links[]
- Jane's World Railways (hard copy)
- Railway companies of Switzerland
- Swiss railway-related lists
- Lists of railway companies
- Lists of companies of Switzerland