Montreux to Interlaken. New trains.

[M. Hardy-Randall]

Montreux, 18th May 2010
PRESS RELEASE
Direct train services between the Vaud Riviera and the Bernese Oberland
The innovative “TransGoldenPass” project will allow “GoldenPass” tourist trains to run from Montreux as far as Interlaken on tracks of different gauges, either on the metric gauge line (1.0m.) between Montreux and Zweisimmen or on the normal gauge line (1.435 m.) between Zweisimmen and Interlaken. This significant improvement in the quality of the service offered will contribute to the long term sustainability of this railway line and help to ensure beneficial outcomes for tourism in the Bernese Oberland and the Vaud Riviera regions.
From 2015, it will be possible to travel between Montreux and Interlaken without changing trains at Zweisimmen. The hundred year old dream that will be realised will contribute to the continued growth and development of the line, which is already well known throughout the world. This project fits perfectly into the desire for long term sustainable tourism that will support the renewed growth not only for the railway companies concerned (MOB and BLS) but also for all of the regions that they serve.
As a result, a significant increase in the number of tourists from Switzerland and overseas is expected. The capacity of the trains will be increased by 50% as those that currently consist of 6 coaches, will in future be made up of 9 coaches. The on-board service will also be enhanced by a gastronomic offering.
A number of feasibility studies have been carried over several decades but without success. The most recent one which proposed the construction of a third rail failed due to the cost, which was estimated at CHF 260 million [GBP162 million], being too high. As a consequence, another solution had to be found. Studies undertaken on the development of a bogie that would be capable of being adapted to the different gauges of the line and also meet the specific requirements of a mountain railway, led to the breakthrough achieved by the GoldenPass engineers.
After two years of internal research and development, GoldenPass was able to begin production of the revolutionary bogie. The technical specifications were ordered from Prose AG at Winterthur and production of the main components from Alstom AG at Neuhausen. This revolutionary bogie which represents a first in the world has been patented by GoldenPass.
Assembled at the GoldenPass technical workshops at Chernex, the prototype bogies have been mounted under the carriage of an existing panoramic train. The first tests that took place over a period of ten days produced very encouraging results. The system was presented today at the test installation at Montreux in the presence of the authorities from the Confederation and the cantons of Vaud and Berne.
The project foresees the installation of new bogies under 20 existing panoramic and classic coaches. To meet this demand as well as that for the replacement of old, outdated trains, 24 additional new coaches will be purchased. The overall cost of this project is calculated to be CHF 80 million. According to the project plans, the first direct trains between Montreux and Interlaken will run in 2015.