GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – A 14-year-old is in serious condition, but his life is not in danger, following an accident at the train station in Gland, canton Vaud, Thursday evening 22 December. Vaud police say that a goods train, going 100 kph, pulled the youth was pulled onto the tracks from the platform about 19:00. He and a group of friends, who were meeting up at the station, were standing on the platform and talking, according to local media.
Vaud police have not confirmed the details but say that the youth and one other friend, also 14, were both injured. The second boy sustained only light injuries and was treated and released from the Nyon hospital.
Zurich, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – A 51-year-old man died shortly after being hit by a train at the station in Wipkingen, on the outskirts of Zurich. He had just stepped off the train and fell onto the tracks for unknown reasons, then was hit by the moving train. Emergency services arrived at the scene promptly but were unable to save him. Police are looking for witnesses to the accident.
A Vevey woman was luckier last week when she was hit by a train after falling at the Vevey station, surviving the accident but sustaining serious injuries. Swiss newspaper 20 Minutes carries a story 2 November saying that she was taken to the Chuv (university hospitals) where a leg was amputated, but no one contacted her husband, despite the woman having a cell phone and identity papers on her. Her husband told the newspaper that he only learned the next day, nearly 24 hours later, why his wife had not returned home.
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The French SNCF railway workers are on strike, with numerous trains between Switzerland and France not running Wednesday 7 April. Media predictions earlier were that one in four TGV trains between Geneva, Lausanne, Basel or Zurich and Paris might not be running Wednesday, but in the end TGV service is very restricted. There are considerable slowdowns on non-TGV routes, reports the CFF Swiss rail company.
The CFF posts latest train service interruptions or slowdowns: check regularly for updates on Switzerland-France traffic.
The SNCF site appears to be more optimistic about the number of trains running: check the train where you hold a reservation if you’re scheduled to travel today.
Belgium’s train drivers went on strike Tuesday unexpectedly 16 February, following the rail accident south of the capital Monday that killed 18 people and injured dozens of others. The workers are striking to draw attention to worsening job conditions, they say, which can compromise safety and lead to accidents.
Lausanne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The Lausanne-Yverdon rail line was out of service for technical reasons from 06:45-07:45 Tuesday morning 12 January, due to a problem with the lines in the Yverdon station, but the line is working again, the CFF has announced. The problem forced Swiss main train line travelers to be rerouted through Switzerland via Bern, and four Intercity trains were canceled, with five regional trains replaced by bus service.
Warren Buffett, the world’s second richest man, is paying $26 billion through his Berkshire Hathaway company for the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp. The purchase price is 31.5 percent over the closing price of the company’s stock Monday 2 November. It is Buffett’s largest ever acquisition and will likely lead to the sale of some of his other holdings, US media are reporting. The deal is a departure from Berkshire Hathaway’s tradition of cash purchases. “Our country’s future prosperity depends on its having an efficient and well-maintained rail system,” Buffett says in a company press release. ,”Conversely, America must grow and prosper for railroads to do well.”
Links to other sites: Berkshire-Hathaway, Bloomberg, Reuters
Bern, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The lower house of the Swiss parliament today voted in favour of a CHF19.1 billion credit to continue work on the Gotthard rail tunnel. Read more…
