The Bern S-Bahn (; ) is an S-Bahn commuter rail network focused on Bern, the federal city of Switzerland. The network is roughly coterminous with Bern's urban agglomeration. Its services connect with those of Lucerne S-Bahn, RER Fribourg, RER Vaud and transN.

With approximately 9 million train kilometres per year, the Bern S-Bahn is the second-largest S-Bahn in Switzerland. It handles around 100,000 passengers daily (175,000 on weekdays), and thus carries the majority of the agglomeration's regional public transport traffic.

Operations The Bern S-Bahn Bern is operated, under a joint commission from the Canton of Bern, its neighbouring cantons and the Federal Government, by the following railway companies:

BLS AG (BLS); Regionalverkehr Bern-Solothurn (RBS).

Upon the timetable change on 12 December 2004, the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB-CFF-FFS) withdrew from its previous involvement in the operation of the Bern S-Bahn, but also took over all of the long-distance services previously operated by the BLS.

Lines , the network consists of the following lines. Unless otherwise stated, the lines are .

# Route Notes OperatorTrack owner ––– BLS AGSBB Thun-Bern Rush-hour service only in direction of Bern BLS AGSBB ––Bern–– BLS AGSBBObermatt–Langnau ownership is shared between SBB and BLS Thun-Konolfingen BLS AGBLS AG Bern-Konolfingen-Langnau i.E. Rush-hour service BLS AGBLS AG –Bern– BLS AGSBB/BLS AG Belp–Bern–(–Biel/Bienne) Rush-hour service BLS AGSBB/BLS AG - BLS AGSBB Lyss- BLS AGSBB Thun–Belp–Bern–––Langnau i.E. BLS AGSBB/BLS AG Thun–Hasle-Rüegsau–Burgdorf– BLS AGBLS AG Konolfingen–Hasle-Rüegsau–Thun BLS AGBLS AG Thun–Belp–Bern––Solothurn/Hasle-Rüegsau- Operates as a single train between Thun and Burgdorf BLS AGSBB/BLS AG –Sumiswald-Grünen BLS AGBLS AG Solothurn–Burgdorf–- Rush-hour service only in direction of Ostermundigen BLS AGSBB/BLS AG –/––Kerzers––Bern Operates as a single train between Bern and Kerzers BLS AGBLS AG Bern Brünnen Westside–Bern BLS AGBLS AG (Ins–)/(–)Murten/Morat−Kerzers–Bern Brünnen Westside–Bern Operates between Ins and Kerzers only during rush hour BLS AGBLS AG –Bern BLS AGBLS AG Bern– Operates over the metre () gauge Worb Dorf–Worblaufen line RBSRBS Bern–/ Operates over the metre () gauge Solothurn–Worblaufen line RBSRBS Bern– Operates over the metre () gauge Zollikofen–Bern line RBSRBS

Network map

Rolling stock The normal rolling stock rosters for the Bern S-Bahn are: BLS RABe 515 ("MUTZ"): up to two units per train (2 x 4- double-decker car EMU) BLS RABe 515 ("MUTZ"): (6 car EMU) BLS RABe 528 ("MIKA"): (up to two units per train (2 x 6 cars EMU)) BLS RABe 535 ("Lötschberger") BLS RABe 535 ("Lötschberger") BLS RABe 515 ("MUTZ"): up to two units per train (2 x 4- double-decker car EMU) BLS RABe 515 ("MUTZ"): up to two units per train (2 x 4- double-decker car EMU) ("NPZ") with two "" intermediate cars or ("NPZ") BLS RABe 525 ("NINA") BLS RABe 528 ("MIKA") (up to two units per train (2 x 6 cars EMU)) BLS RABe 535 ("Lötschberger") BLS RABe 525 ("NINA") BLS RABe 525 ("NINA") or BLS RABe 535 ("Lötschberger"): 1-2 units per train (4 cars EMU) BLS RABe 525 ("NINA") or BLS RABe 535 ("Lötschberger") BLS RABe 525 ("NINA") BLS RABe 525 ("NINA") or : 1–3 units per train (3 cars EMU) BLS RBDe 565 ("NPZ") with two "B6 Jumbo" intermediate cars BLS RBDe 565 ("NPZ") with two "B6 Jumbo" intermediate cars BLS RABe 515 ("MUTZ") ("Worbla"): in peak times 2 x Be 4/10, supplementary trains Bern–Bolligen RBS Be 4/10 ("Worbla") RBS Be 4/12 ("Seconda"): 2 EMU per train in peak hours, 1 EMU outside of peak hours RBS Be 4/12 ("Seconda") or RBS Be 4/10 ("Worbla")

History 1970s & 80s As early as 1974, (VBW), forerunner of Regionalverkehr Bern-Solothurn (RBS), began operating S-Bahn-style clock-face schedule services in the Bern area. The next step came in 1987, when Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) began running trains from through to or on a half-hourly schedule.

1990s The second line began operation on 28 May 1995, operating from to . At this time the "S"-style designations were introduced to differentiate the lines.

The next expansion occurred in 1998, with the commissioning of the S3 (Biel/Bienne−) and the S4 (Bern–− and beyond). The S33 and S44 supplemented service on the S3 and S4, while the S5 designation was applied to regional services between Bern and . Also introduced was the S55 for services from Bern to via .

2005 The December 2004 timetable change saw major expansions of the Bern S-Bahn concept. This was partly enabled by infrastructure improvements carried out under the Rail 2000 program. The three RBS lines were formally incorporated into the network, SBB transferred the operation of the S1 and S3 to the Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon-Bahn (BLS). The network now consisted of the following services:

Number Route Frequency Operator S1 Fribourg/Laupen BE––Bern–Thun Every 30 minutes BLS S11 Bern–Fribourg Rush-hour BLS S2 Schwarzenburg–Bern– Every 30 minutes BLS S22 Schwarzenburg–Bern Rush-hour BLS S3 Biel/Bienne–Bern–Belp Every 30 minutes BLS S33 Bern–Belp–Thun Every 30 minutes BLS S4 –Bern–Burgdorf– Every 60 minutes RM S44 Rosshäusern–Bern–Burgdorf–Langnau i.E./ Every 60 minutes RM S5 Bern–Kerzers–Neuchâtel/Murten (–Payerne) Every 60 minutes BLS S51 Bern– Rush-hour BLS S7 Bern–– Every 15 minutes RBS S8 Bern– Every 15 minutes RBS S9 Bern– Every 15 minutes RBS

2009 The December 2008 timetable change saw several major alterations to the standard gauge part of the network. On the Lausanne–Bern line, the S11 was eliminated, and the S1 began operating half-hourly between Flamatt and Fribourg and skipping most local stops between Flamatt and . The S2's western terminus was changed from Schwarzenburg to Laupen BE. On the Bern–Schwarzenburg railway line, the new S6 replaced the S2 and S22, offering a half-hourly service between Schwarzenburg and Bern. On the Bern–Neuchâtel line, the new S52 replaced the S4 and S44 between Bern and Rosshäusern, and was extended to Kerzers, while the S51 was increased to half-hourly service and extended to the new station at . The S4 and S44 were re-routed over the Bern–Belp–Thun line to Thun via Belp, in place of the S33.

Number Route Frequency Operator S1 Fribourg–Bern–Thun Every 30 minutes BLS S2 Laupen BE–Bern–Langnau i.E. Every 30 minutes BLS S3 Biel/Bienne–Bern–Belp (–Thun) Every 30 minutes BLS S4 Thun–Bern–Burgdorf–Affoltern-Weier Every 60 minutes BLS S44 Thun–Bern–Burgdorf–Langnau i.E./Wiler Every 60 minutes BLS S5 Bern–Kerzers–Neuchâtel/Murten (–Payerne) Every 60 minutes BLS S51 Bern–Bern Brünnen Westside Every 30 minutes BLS S52 Bern–Kerzers (–Neuchâtel) Every 30 minutes BLS S6 Schwarzenburg–Bern Every 30 minutes BLS S7 Bern–Bolligen–Worb Every 15 minutes RBS S8 Bern–Jegenstorf Every 15 minutes RBS S9 Bern–Unterzollikofen Every 15 minutes RBS

2010–2012 The December 2009 timetable change saw a limited number of changes. The most significant involved the S4 and S44. Service on the was cut back from Affoltern-Weier to , and the S4 and S44 swapped termini, with the S4 now going to Sumiswald-Grünen and the S44 going to Langnau i.E. The December 2011 addition of the S31 between and Belp (via Bern) increased the service frequency between those two stations to every fifteen minutes.

See also Trams in Bern Trolleybuses in Bern

Notes

Footnotes

References

External links