Swittzerland: multiple operators for long-distance services

[Adlington]

Yet another European country will have multiple operators offering long-distance passenger services, instead of one state-owned monopolist.

Switzerland’s Federal Office of Transport (BAV) announced on April 19 that it plans to grant SBB a 10-year concession for operation of most of the country’s long-distance services. However, BLS will be granted a concession for the Bern - Biel and Bern - Burgdorf - Olten routes.

The new concessions are due to start in December 2019. From December 2020 Southeastern Railway (SOB) will take over operation of Gotthard Panorama Line services from Basle and Zurich to Locarno and Lugarno via the original Gotthard line and Chur - Zürich - Bern services, which will be co-branded SOB-SBB.

BLS, Switzerland’s second-largest railway, sought a concession for the operation of five routes.

Source

Background reading: BLS, née Berner Alpenbahn-Gesellschaft Bern–Lötschberg–Simplon, in short (just for friends...) Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon-Bahn, has quite an interesting history, having been built with French, not federal Swiss, financing. More on Wikipedia.

 

[dutchflyer]

Not quite though-it only means that the trains on said routes will switch from now SBB to then BLS-as both are mostly inside Bern-kanton, this is probably the explanation. BLS has shown interst in running more IC-lines. There may however be small sections that both companies cover then. And do not expect any ''competition'' in the british sense on it-same fares, same discounts, accept all tickets etc.