Traffic in front of the WTO, heading into Geneva: expect delays (photo, Jared Bloch)
Geneva and Lausanne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - People travelling into Geneva by any method can expect to be stopped and handed a questionnaiare between 21 March and mid-April.
Vaud, Geneva and neighbouring France are pooling their efforts to better understand commuters’ and others’ transport needs in the region by organizing a vast survey of current needs.
Three weeks, 30 border crossings, 100,000 questionnaires:
“The questionnaires will be handed out on all of Geneva’s borders to everyone going into Geneva, whether they are on foot, using two wheels, in a car or bus or train, between 06:30 and 20:30,” says Geneva’s Mobility Office, which is coordinating the work with five other government agencies from the region.
“Each area will be covered for just one day,” it notes.
This is the second in the Swiss dream ski week, where Nick and Liam Bates, regular contributors to GenevaLunch, see how much great skiing at top Swiss resorts they can pack into one week. Be sure to check their tips at the end.
Liam and Nick Bates in St Moritz, canton Graubuenden
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Nick and Liam left the car at home near Lake Geneva, with some reluctance since they are used to driving to the slopes. They caught a fast CFF InterCity train for Zurich, then headed for St Moritz.
Both had passes for first class travel; Liam, who lives in Beijing, had a Swiss Pass for foreigners, which meant one 8-day ticket that covered all trains as well as city transport, the mountain trains they used and cablecars in the resorts they visited.
Initial calculations were that a car would be cheaper and handier, but by the end of the week the two had changed their minds. Two Swiss Pass tickets for eight days would cost just under CHF1,000 but a rental car plus CHF300 petrol to cover the same distance, plus parking fees at some hotels and lift areas would quickly have cost the same.
“We never missed having a car, at all,” says Nick, who would have done all the driving since Liam does not have a Swiss license. “In many ways the train was much more pleasant. You don’t have to worry about maps or where you’re going. And when you’re feeling tired, it’s nice. You can have a glass of wine, read a book or watch a movie on your laptop.”
You can go out to dinner at the end of the day, relax and drink without considering if you’re staying under the legal driving limit, he notes.
First class is busy for a reason: it has advantages
Liam, who normal travels as cheaply as possible, and who expects other people to, was surprised to see how busy first class trains are.
First class cars have bigger seats and more luggage space, and you tend to see more foreigners on them, Liam noticed, probably because so many foreigners buy special offer packages before they come to Switzerland.
These often include first class travel because these cars are usually more conveniently located for making connections and for getting in and out of stations more easily or quickly.
Commuters who work on the train regularly often have general subscription passes for first class. The Swiss have the world’s highest rate of use of trains in the world, and rush hour on commuter trains can get very busy.
Inter-city trains to St Gallen with stops in major cities: passengers forced by fallen tree to change in Lausanne
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - A tree that was the victim of high winds due to the cold bise blowing in the Lake Geneva region took down rail traffic when it fell.
The tree fell on CFF rail wires between Geneva and Chambésy, just outside the city, shortly after 09:30, bringing a halt to all traffic on one of Switzerland’s busiest stretches of rail, between Geneva and Lausanne.
Traffic was partially back in service an hour later, but by mid-afternoon repairs had not yet been completed, and disruptions continued.
Line closest to the station in Geneva, right, is reserved for Geneva-Coppet traffic, where the CFF wants to have 4, not just 2 trains an hour each way
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Mies and Chambésy could soon be home to two new crossing points for CFF regional trains, residents learned Wednesday evening.
The Tribune de Geneve reports that the Swiss rail company met with residents to explain about the works that need to be undertaken in the area to handle the rapidly growing traffic on the Geneva-Coppet rail line.
Trains currently run every 30 minutes but traffic has become so dense, particularly at each end of the work day, that trains are needed every 15 minutes.
The two trains currently meet at Creux-de-Genthod but an additional line and two extra crossing points are needed to increase the frequency.
The new line, lake side of the tracks, would later become part of the RER regional system, Suva, and the trains will continue on to Annemasse.
According to the Tribune, the CFF would like to see the works, which will take 2.5 years, completed by 2015, but negotiations that began with landowners in 2010 are not yet completed.
More snow!
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Switzerland’s Christmas snow has begun to fall steadily, and up to 10cm are expected on the plain, with 20cm at higher altitudes, but early afternoon 24 December showed relatively few signs of the winter weather snarls neighbouring France and Germany are experiencing. Geneva’s Cointrin Airport recommends that travellers arrive at least two hours before departure for all flights, given that up to 56,000 passengers are expected on Sunday, with traffic building up from the 20,000 travellers handled by the airport on a normal day.
Flights, trains and road traffic in France are all snarled by fresh snow on Christmas Eve day, throughout the country, with repercussions in neighbouring countries. Flights from Paris to Switzerland in the early afternoon were cancelled, although some later flights are still displayed as operating. Train stations are expected to handle some two million people over the Christmas weekend, with 800,000 Friday 24 December alone. Areas along the eastern borders with Germany and Switzerland as well as mountain regions further south are on orange alert for icy, snowy roads. Traffic at noon Friday was disrupted particularly in the Calais area and Charles-de-Gaulles Roissy
German train service was disrupted between Berlin and Hannover for several hours late Thursday when lines were iced over, stopping five intercity trains for five hours. Rail delays are expected to continue throughout Friday. Germany has also seen several highway accidents due to ice, with North Rhine Westphalia recording 1,734 accidents in 24 hours, according to The Local, Germany. A 24km tailback was formed, heading into Munich, after a spectacular pileup that involved 51 vehicles on the A9 motorway.
Belgium is also experiencing traffic problems due to snow, with flights from Brussels airport delayed and in some cases cancelled.
Roads in the UK are mostly cleared, according to the Guardian, allowing motorists a chance to get away for Chistmas, but it points to a reminder from the Automobile Association that stopping takes 10 times longer on icy, snowy roads than under normal conditions, so leave plenty of space between cars.
Links to other sites: Geneva Airport departures and arrivals, Guardian, UK, Le Monde (Fre), The Local (Ger), TSR (Fre)
Lausanne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Rail traffic on the main Geneva-Lausanne line and up to Biel-Bienne has been disrupted Friday morning 17 December by a “person accident” in Renens around 09:00. The term is used to refer to an accident involving a person on the rails, either accident or suicide.
The CFF warns travellers to expect delays, but trains should be running on a full schedule again by shortly after noon.
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - The cold front from the northwest that is expected to abruptly end the Lake Geneva region’s three-day warm spell starting Thursday night has taken a foothold in France, notably in Paris. Buses, regional trains and many Metro lines have virtually stopped running, airports have offered spotty service, traffic is snarled and even the Eiffel Tower, famously open year-round, has closed under a cloak of invisibility.
TGV service between Paris and Switzerland is still running, but the Paris-Basel-Zurich evening train is 1 hour 20minutes late. For CCF rail traffic updates, the French version tends to have the latest details before the English version.
Links to other sites: AFP, Le Monde offers a TV telezapping view of the crippled French capital and region around it.
Télézapping : La neige engloutit la Tour Eiffel
envoyé par lemondefr. – L'info internationale vidéo.
Few ventured out early Wednesday morning (Saint Prex, canton Vaud)
An aptly named street Wednesday morning
Update 09:30 Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - The overnight snowfall throughout the Lake Geneva region is causing major traffic disruptions Wednesday 1 December. Cointrin Airport in Geneva is closed until at least 14:00 and travellers are being advised to check with their airlines.
The TPG in Geneva decided early in the morning not to run any of its buses and trams until further notice. The Tribune de Geneve is providing regular updates on the city’s public transport situation, as is RSR, which says some trams are running in the city, at 08:00.
Geneva, with 20 cm of fresh snow overnight, and more falling, has been the hardest hit area, according to MeteoSwiss reports.
Roads are considered moderately dangerous, with icy conditions, from Geneva to Lausanne and up the hillsides to the Jura. Road conditions in Valais are good, with less fresh snow than around the lake.
Everyone's new best friend, on a topsy-turvy snowy morning (Saint Prex, canton Vaud)
Lausanne’s public transport is running, with relatively minor delays, after 10 cm of snow fell overnight.
The CFF Swiss train system is operating, but with some delays: details for delayed trains and a map are updated frequently. Passengers were stranded Tuesday evening along the Lausanne-Geneva line when the Intercity train had a technical problem from about 18:00-20:00, but the problem was not weather-related.
The Swiss highway department’s truck info road updates and TCS (Touring Club Suisse) provide details of congestion and closed roads, with traffic in the Lausanne-Geneva area slow Wednesday morning, but with fewer people than usual on the road before 08:00, reports one commuter.
Schools are open in Geneva and neighbouring France, but with limited public transport, some children will not be making it to school.
Geneva and Lausanne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Trains between Geneva and Lausanne, including intercity trains to the rest of Switzerland, were delayed for more than an hour starting around 20:00 Wednesday evening 24 November, due to a technical problem. Service was back around 21:15, with trains gradually getting back on schedule afterwards.
Rail traffic was disrupted on the Vevey-Geneva line Thursday, following the accident
Vevey, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - A 55-year-old Vevey woman suffered serious injuries to her legs when she tried to catch a train leaving the station in Vevey around 14:30 Thursday. The train was an Interregio, heading for Geneva Airport. The woman’s legs were reportedly caught between the rail car and the quay when she fell and the train doors closed. An investigation into the accident has been open.
Traffic on the line was delayed for an hour and a half.
A serious accident involving a teenager who had just graduated from La Chataigneraie (International School of Geneva) in 2008, following an evening out with friends, made headlines at the time, but the Vevey woman is the latest of some 20 victims of “imprudent” behaviour by rail travellers every year in Switzerland, according to the CFF. The rail company works with schools throughout the country in an annual campaign aimed at teenagers to educate them to dangers of playing around trains, railyards and the need for basic precautions around trains.
Ed. note: the youth, from the Nyon area, sustained serious injuries, but survived the accident.
French workers are on strike again Tuesday 12 October, for the third time in the past 30 days, over government plans to raise the age for pensions from 65 to 67, and the minimum retirement age from 60 to 62. But today’s strikes have a different tone, with major unions scheduled to vote at the end of the day over starting rolling strikes, which would mean advance notice for one-day strikes that could be renewed, by vote, at the end of each day.
Half of French flights have been cancelled Tuesday, and rail service and public transport are badly disrupted. A three-week-old strike in Marseilles is blocking oil tankers, pushing up the price of diesel throughout Europe, according to the BBC.
TGV connections to and from Paris could be cancelled Tuesday 12 October: Lausanne train station
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The SNCF French rail company is warning travellers to expect disruptions to train traffic Tuesday 12 October, with French rail workers planning to strike. The industrial action is part of continuing strikes in France against President Nicolas Sarkozy’s plans to raise the retirement age but unlike previous strikes this one has no end date.
TGV’s between Lausanne and Paris as well as Geneva-Paris trains and some to the south of France are expected to be cancelled.
Video, CGT union site: http://www.cgt.fr/
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Up to 50 percent of French flights were reportedly cancelled Thursday 23 September as workers in France held rallies and went on strike for the second time in less than two weeks. The protests are against President Nicolas Sarkozy’s proposal to raise the retirement age.
Train service between France and Switzerland was virtually normal Thursday. According to Swiss newspaper Le Temps the number of protestors varied hugely depending on who you were asking, with the police saying 65,000 people marched in Paris, while the unions insisted it was 300,000.
Swiss voters likely to have their say on more public transport funding
Popular initiative for public transport: 140,000 signatures handed to Bern
Bern, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Swiss voters will probably have their say about increasing funds for public transport. A group called ATE (Transport and Environment Association) and 20 partner groups Monday 6 September handed in 140,000 signatures, an unusually high number for a popular or citizens’ initiative, that calls for more money to be spent on public transport and less on highways. The signatures were handed to the federal chancellery.
The federal tax on mineral oils is currently cut three ways, with the general federal budget taking a slice. The remainder is divided between highways, with 75 percent, and public transport, which receives 25 percent. The new initiative would redistribute that money: the remainder would be shared 50-50 by roads and public transport.
Youth electrocuted in Morges, Pakistani woman dies on Interlaken luge
Three climbers die in Valais
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch.com) – The hot, fun days of summer have been accompanied in the region by a series of fatal accidents.
A 20-year-old man died in the early hours of Saturday 17 July when he crossed the rails near a train parked in the station at Morges in canton Vaud was electrocuted. He had stepped onto a locomotive, putting him in the line of its electrical charge.
People near the station saw an electric flash at 02:40 and alerted CFF rail company staff. Emergency teams arrived quickly and found the body of the youth, a Swiss man from the Lausanne area, on the tracks, say Vaud police.
A Pakistani woman visiting Switzerland died Monday after she was thrown from her luge at the Heimwehfluh luge park near Interlaken, around 13:00, for reasons that are not yet clear. She was found several metres from the piste and was rushed to hospital, but she died later from her injuries.
Two climbers in Valais lost their lives Monday at 08:45 in a 900-metre fall on the north face of the Liskamm, near Zermatt. The two men, who were roped together, have not yet been identified.
They had left the Capanna Gnifetti to climbe the Liskamm and appear to have been at an altitude of 4,470 metres when they fell, for reasons that are not yet clear. They were at coordinates 630/000 – 086/130.
A third climber in Valais died near Arolla 18 July, Sunday, at 12:30 while climbing down from the Grande Dent de Veisivi. The 51-year-old Frenchman had climbed the peak alone but came down by another path and found himself in a couloir, where he fell 100 metres to his death.
Links to other sites: 20 Minutes, Tribune de Geneve
Paleo special trains, Geneva-Lyon cuts, Migros 2 for 1
Port Elizabeth, South Africa group Ubuhle plays Tuesday night at Paleo
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch.com) – Regional trains between Geneva and Lyons are out of service from Monday 19 July to 30 July, due to French rail company SNCF repairs. Buses are replacing the train service. The buses from Geneva are behind the Cornavin station, at Place Montbrillant. Details: phone 166 (CHF.50/min) for an automatic message, and if you need to speak to an agent: 0900 300 300 (CHF 1.19/min) from Switzerland.
Paleo: 20% discounts on train tickets
The CFF is working with the Paleo music festival to cut car traffic to Nyon during the festival, which runs from 20-25 July, by offering rail tickets at a 20 percent discount. RailAway prices, if you have a half-price card: round-trip (return) in second-class, Geneva-Nyon CHF6.60, from Lausanne, CHF11.20, from Fribourg, CHF25.60.
Swiss train, moving fast, wearing out the rails
Bern, Switzerland (GenevaLunch.com) - The cost of maintaining Switzerland’s famous railroads is about to rise, but the amount in question is up for debate. The one thing that appears clear is that train travellers, and Switzerland has the highest percentage of them of any country in the world, will foot at least some of the bill.
The CFF rail company at the start of 2010 announced that it would need CHF850 million more than predicted to maintain the rail infrastructure. The federal government asked for a second estimate, which it says is CHF500m. The federal Transport Office and the CFF have agreed to create a programme together to closely monitor the state of the rail system and more precisely determine the upkeep cost.
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - The CFF rail company says there will be no trains running between Lancy-Pont-Rouge and Geneva Saturday 26 June, 09:00 until Sunday 27 June at midnight due to work on the Geneva-La Praille station. Travelers are asked to use Geneva public transport, but warned to allow an extra 30 minutes.
Lake Geneva boats, calm before the storm of school children 24 June
Lausanne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch.com) – Swiss classrooms were quieter, but trains, boats and buses were far noisier than usual Thursday 24 June, the peak day for the end of year semaine verte or school outings throughout much of the country.
The CFF rail company reports 2,700 groups reserving cars on trains for the day and boats on Swiss lakes were more crowded than usual.
Sixty-five dead and 200 injured after train derails, hits goods train
An overnight passenger train traveling from Calcutta to Mumbai went off its rails and crashed into an oncoming goods train, killing at least 65 people and injuring more than 200 as 13 cars were flung into the path of the other train. Government officials say it is too early to know, but they suspect sabotage, given that a section of track had been removed, the accident occurred in an area in West Bengal known for Maoist activities, and the Maoists had earlier declared a “black week” of violent acts.
Canadian company Bombardier CHF1.86 billion train deal creates Vaud jobs, will ease passenger crunch
New CFF InterCity trains, scheduled for 2013 Geneva-Zurich
Bern, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The good news is that train travel in Switzerland is about to get better, but the bad news is that it won’t happen fast enough to suit many impatient Swiss, who travel on average 2,422 km a year by train, making them the world leaders in train use.
The CFF Swiss rail company has just bought 59 new trains with the first rollout in 2013. The purchase of 36,000 new train seats is just a start: in the next 20 years the CFF will need to replace 120,000 seats and add an additional 60,000 because of growing passenger demand and new lines.
Bombardier, a Canadian company, fought off Siemens and Stadler Rail to get a CHF1.9 billion contract with the CFF to supply 59 new double-decker trains. The contract could lead to the purchase at a later date of an additional 100 trains, for a total package worth close to CHF6b.
Passengers to see tangible benefits
For travelers, the new cars will offer a number of advantages: electric plugs and Internet for all passengers, the cars at the front and back of the train will have extra doors, to speed up passsenger movement, first and second class will be completely separated, not the case with at least one of the other offers, according to Le Temps.
The trains will carry 1,300 instead of the 1,100 currently handled by InterCity trains. The extra 200 passengers will be accommodated even with more comfortable stairs which will have a different shape to those in today’s trains, but the seats will have the same space and distance as in the IC2000 trains currently running.
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.
Paris, France (GenevaLunch) – Eurostar will not be running trains in or out of Brussels, Belgium for a second day, following the train crash near Brussels Monday 15 February that killed 18 people. Passengers with tickets are asked to exchange them for a later date or they can ask for a refund. Paris trains are operating normally and Lille service is suffering some delays. Contact: Eurostar.
SCNF has special site, phone line for French trains affected
Bern, Switzerland and Paris, France (GenevaLunch) - Rail traffic between France and Belgium has stopped and rail authorities say the interruption could last all day Monday 15 February, following a violent head-on collision of two trains south of Brussels. The Eurostar and Thalys are particularly affected.
The accident killed more than 20 people and there appear to be many serious injuries, but authorities have not yet provided official figures. The crash occurred around 08:30 Monday morning during rush hour, with the two trains were filled with commuters.
Machu Picchu in 2009 (photo ©2009 Claude Vedovini)
Bern, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Switzerland and the United Nations Development Programme will work with Peru to improve weather monitoring around the ancient Incan site of Machu Picchu, following a disastrous series of 40 mudslides due to heavy rains. The rains continue and the Cuzco department, where the site is located, was declared a disaster area Monday 1 February, by the regional president, Hugo Gonzales.
An estimated 25,000 people have been left homeless and another 37,000 have lost at least part of their property in the past two weeks. Some 4,000 tourists were airlifted out of the area last week, and Machu Picchu itself will be closed for at least two months while broken rail and road links are repaired.
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.
Lausanne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Trains between Vevey and Lausanne were delayed during the morning rush hour, with no service from Vevey towards Lausanne for an hour. An “accident to a person”, the CFF and police euphemism for someone being run over by a train, was the cause of the delays. The police have not confirmed if it was a case of suicide, as reported by local media.
Britain continues to suffer travel woes linked to cold, snowy, icy weather, with flights cancelled on the busiest travel day of the year, 23 December, trains suspended and icy road warnings out for much of the country, reports The Times, UK. The national weather service is forecasting improvements starting Christmas Day, 25 December. Meanwhile, Liverpool airport was forced to close, a Ryanair plane skidded off a runway but caused no injuries, and a record 116,000 motorists were helped by the Automobile Association.
Be sure to buy a ticket before getting on a Swiss train
Bern and Bellinzona, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Train passengers without tickets or sitting in first class when they have only second class tickets will be treated alike by Switzerland’s CFF rail company, following a decision by a Swiss court: subject to CHF80 fines plus the missing fare or the difference between classes. Travelers should be aware that the fines are collected on the spot and that tickets must be purchased before getting on a train.
The Swiss administrative high court ruled Wednesday 23 December in favour of the CFF rail company, which had appealed against a decision of the Swiss Transport Office.
Fewer Geneva roadworks, as tram goes into service
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – If you haven’t yet done so, be sure to shift your radio settings to find World Radio Switzerland in its new FM home: 101.7FM. And this is the weekend when the TPG (Geneva public transport) puts its new schedule into effect, including the new line to Meyrin and more frequent buses and trams on several lines, so doublecheck your travel plans if you’re heading across town. Monday 14 December the new CFF rail schedule goes into effect for all of Switzerland, so make no assumptions about when your train is leaving. Two additional trains should make life easier for urban commuters: an extra late afternoon train from Bern to Zurich (16:14) is designed to ease pressure on that often-packed line, as is an 18:31 regional train from Lausanne to Geneva.
Links for details: CFF, TPG (note: Sunday night the site was being updated), WRS
