Simplon Railway

Simplon Railway
1928 poster, showing the line passing the Chateau du Chillon
Overview
Native name	Simplonstrecke or Simplonlinie
Termini	Vallorbe Domodossola
Technical
Line length	232.5 km (144.5 mi)
Number of tracks	2
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	15 kV/16.7 Hz AC overhead catenary
Operating speed	160 km/h (99 mph) (Passenger trains) 140 km/h (87 mph) (Freight trains) 200 km/h (120 mph) (Planned for 2030)
Route map Legend km elev SNCF from Dijon Mont d’Or Tunnel France Switzerland 46.3 Vallorbe SNCF SBB 806.9 m to Pontarlier, SBB SNCF national and property border Le Day Viaduct (152 m) 43.2 Le Day 787.2 m SBB to Le Pont 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 SBB from Yverdon-les-Bains and Olten 19.1 Daillens 445.1 m Daillens-Poste parcel distribution centre MBC funicular from Cossonay 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 SBB from Geneva 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 TL from Lausanne-Flon 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) TL Lausanne Metro 3.97 Lausanne-Tridel waste incinerator 594.5 m 1.13 Lausanne junction   442.2 m 0.00 0.00 Lausanne 447.1 m TL to Ouchy and TL: Lausanne-Flon SBB to Palézieux and Bern 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 SBB from Puidoux-Chexbres La Veveyse MVR from Blonay and Les Pléiades MVR funicular from Mont Pèlerin VMCV: Vevey funicular 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) CCB from Blonay 23.10 Clarens   399.6 m CCB: Clarens Lac 24.54 Montreux   395.4 m MVR to Rochers de Naye MOB line to Zweisimmen TP: Trait–Planches level junction with VMCV MVR funicular to Glion 26.02 Territet   386.2 m TMF to Mont Fleuri (funicular)[5] 27.09 Veytaux-Chillon 379.8 m VMCV 29.34 Villeneuve 374.8 m 33.84 Roche VD 379.6 m 37.71 Yvorne 395.0 m TPC to Leysin-Grand-Hôtel 39.31 Aigle 403.9 m TPC to Les Diablerets 43.60 St-Triphon former station 390.7 m TPC to Champery TPC from Col de Bretaye 47.56 Bex 411.0 m 49.42 Massongex bridge (87 m) over Rhone VD VS SBB from Saint-Gingolph 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 TMR from Le Châtelard 66.50 Martigny   467.0 m TrMB to Martigny–Bourg TMR to Orsières and Le Châble 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 SMC to Montana-Crans (funicular) 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) LLB to Leukerbad 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 BLS (Lötschberg Base Tunnel) from Spiez 130.09 St. German 646.5 m chainage correction -0.01 Vispa bridge (45 / 45 / 45 m) MGB from Zermatt 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 MGB to Andermatt 147.15 Brig Tunnel 682.4 m Simplon Tunnel (19'823 / 19'803 m) 156.24 Switzerland Italy 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 SSIF [de] / FART line to Locarno Via Torino bridge (335 m) RFI to Novara Toce bridge (298 m) 0.00 Domodossola II marshalling yard 239.0 m RFI to Milan Source: Swiss railway atlas[6] This diagram: view talk edit

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]