Simplon Railway

Simplon Railway
1928 poster, showing the line passing the Chateau du Chillon
Overview
Native nameSimplonstrecke or Simplonlinie
Termini
Technical
Line length232.5 km (144.5 mi)
Number of tracks2
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Electrification15 kV/16.7 Hz AC overhead catenary
Operating speed160 km/h (99 mph) (Passenger trains)

140 km/h (87 mph) (Freight trains)

200 km/h (120 mph) (Planned for 2030)
Route map

km
France
Switzerland
46.3
Vallorbe
SNCF
SBB
806.9 m
to Pontarlier,
SBB
SNCF
national and
property border
43.2
Le Day
787.2 m
41.2
Les Grands-Bois
Nanchau Tunnel (132 m)
Combes Tunnel (100 m)
35.8
Bretonnières
673.3 m
33.7
Croy-Romainmôtier
641.8 m
27.6
Arnex
552.4 m
Moulin-Bornu Tunnel (72 m)
La Sarraz Tunnel (148 m)
22.8
La Sarraz
484.9 m
19.3
Daillens
19.1
Daillens
445.1 m
Daillens-Poste
parcel distribution centre
14.5
Cossonay-Penthalaz
428.0 m
11.0
Vufflens-la-Ville
406.8 m
9.9
siding
9.4
Vufflens-la-Ville
399.6 m
6.9
14.9
Bussigny
407.0 m
13.8
Lausanne marshalling yard north
400.0 m
Poimbœuf bridge (63 / 70 m)
Poudrière III bridge (213 m)
13.2
Les Lécheires
398.8 m
12.9
7.7
Lausanne marshalling yard D
397.0 m
8.03[1]
8.15[2]
Denges
chainage correction: -0.01
to/from Lausanne marshalling yard
Larges-Pièces bridge (106 m)
6.1
Archy
404.4 m
4.51
Renens VD
 
415.9 m
3.76[3]
3.79[4]
Renens VD-Est bifurcation
 
416.3 m
Galicien bridge (147 m)
2.35
Prilly-Malley
since 2011
430.4 m
1.52
-0.05
Lausanne-Sébeillon
freight yard
449.8 m
Olivier Français Tunnel (3796 m)
3.97
Lausanne-Tridel
waste incinerator
594.5 m
1.13
Lausanne junction
 
442.2 m
0.00
0.00
Lausanne
447.1 m
2.51
Pully
424.8 m
Paudèze bridge (162 m)
Paudex Tunnel (72 m)
5.05
Lutry
402.1 m
Tour-de-Bertholod Tunnel (126 m)
6.68
Villette VD
387.4 m
8.52
Cully
391.7 m
9.98
Epesses
383.1 m
13.55
Rivaz
377.0 m
14.55
St-Saphorin
376.9 m
chainage correction +0.02
La Veveyse
18.40
Vevey
386.1 m
19.90
La Tour-de-Peilz
 
390.4 m
21.53
Burier
 
395.9 m
Crêtes Tunnel (302 m)
23.10
Clarens
 
399.6 m
24.54
Montreux
 
395.4 m
level junction with VMCV
26.02
Territet
 
386.2 m
TMF to Mont Fleuri (funicular)[5]
27.09
Veytaux-Chillon
379.8 m
VMCV
29.34
Villeneuve VD
374.8 m
33.84
Roche VD
379.6 m
37.71
Yvorne
395.0 m
39.31
Aigle
403.9 m
43.60
St-Triphon
former station
390.7 m
47.56
Bex
411.0 m
49.42
Massongex bridge (87 m) over Rhone
VD
VS
50.07
Les Paluds
408.0 m
St-Maurice Tunnel (490 m)
51.56
St-Maurice
421.5 m
57.86
Evionnaz
449.0 m
61.51
Vernayaz
452.2 m
66.50
Martigny
 
467.0 m
70.86
Charrat-Fully
460.5 m
75.27
Saxon
465.2 m
79.57
Riddes
470.6 m
Rhône Riddes (66 m)
Zavannens Tunnel (276 m)
82.12
Chamoson-St-Pierre-de-Clages
488.2 m
85.31
Ardon
487.9 m
88.07
Châteauneuf-Conthey
488.7 m
92.43
Sion
490.6 m
98.15
St-Léonard
504.9 m
101.56
Granges-Lens
former station
507.9 m
108.13
Sierre/Siders
Gobet Tunnel (251 m)
chainage correction -0.04
Raspille Tunnel (80 m)
112.25
Salgesch
575.9 m
Salgesch–Leuk new line since 2004
Varonne Tunnel (137 / 2816 m)
Dala bridge (79 m)
Leuk Tunnel (125 / 1388 m)
Rhône bridge (180 m)
117.58
Leuk
623.3 m
chainage correction -0.04
122.11
Turtmann
624.2 m
chainage correction -0.01
125.87
Gampel-Steg
631.9 m
130.09
Raron
638.8 m
130.09
St. German
646.5 m
chainage correction -0.01
Vispa bridge (45 / 45 / 45 m)
136.66
Visp
 
646.5 m
141.1
Gamsen SBB
 
660.9 m
BLS (Lötschberg railway line) from Spiez
MGB until 2007 via Naters
145.55
Brig
car loading
677.7 m
147.15
Brig Tunnel
682.4 m
Simplon Tunnel (19'823 / 19'803 m)
156.24
156.34
Tunnel station
 
700.2 m
156.77
high point
701.9 m
Iselle Tunnel (169 m)
167.22
19.06
Iselle di Trasquera
car loading
629.5 m
SBB
RFI
property boundary
Trasquera Tunnel (1792 m)
Varzo spiral tunnel
12.55
Varzo
 
529.0 m
Varzo Tunnel (81 m)
Mognatta Tunnel (422 m)
Gabbio Mollo Tunnel (568 m)
S. Giovanni Tunnel (425 m)
Diveria bridge (40 m)
Rio Confinale Tunnel (51 m)
Preglia/Rio Rido Tunnel (2327 m)
Preglia bridge (82 m)
3.83
Preglia
 
331.0 m
Bogna bridge (96 m)
0.00
5.06
Domodossola I
 
270.1 m
Via Torino bridge (335 m)
Toce bridge (298 m)
0.00
Domodossola II
marshalling yard
239.0 m
Source: Swiss railway atlas[6]

The Simplon Railway is a line that links Lausanne in Switzerland and Domodossola in Italy, via Brig. The 20 km (12 mi)-long Simplon Tunnel (opened in 1906) is a major part of it. The line between Lausanne and Vallorbe is sometimes considered to form part of the line, making it 233 km (145 mi) long.

Together with the Lötschberg Railway to its north, it forms the second most important trans-Alpine railway line in Switzerland after the Gotthard Railway, which lies to its east and is about 240 km (150 mi) long.

ETCS level 2 is expected to be installed on the line between Lausanne and Brig before 2022.[7]

  1. ^ via Lausanne marshalling yard D
  2. ^ from Lausanne–Archy
  3. ^ via Prilly-Malley
  4. ^ via Lausanne-Sébeillon
  5. ^ "Territet–Mont Fleuri funicular" (in German). www.bahndaten.ch. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
  6. ^ Eisenbahnatlas Schweiz [Swiss railway atlas]. Schweers + Wall. 2012. pp. 28–9, 41–3, 44–6, 54–5, 70–1. ISBN 978-3-89494-130-7.
  7. ^ "SBB steps up ETCS rollout". Railway Gazette.com. 16 Mar 2012. Retrieved 4 August 2013.