European Railroad Discussion > Swiss News - April 2019

As part of Project Capricorn to increase the Chur S-Bahn network in Canton Graubünden, the Rhätiche Bahn has conducted test runs over the eastern portion of the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn from Disentis/Mustáir station to Dieni station just west of Sedrun, using a slightly modified Allegra EMU. It has been proposed that the RhB would take over the operation of the MGB between Disentis?Mustáir and Sedrun with the Interchange of the Glacier Express moved to Sedrun. A small number of S-Bahn trains would continue on to Dieni with RhB crews during the morning and evening commuter peaks. Control of the Sedrun to Dieni section is unclear. This would replace MGB operation in most of Canton Graubünden with the RhB which is partially owned by the Canton. Only Tschamut-Selva station would rmain unserved by the RhB in the Canton. This is station located on the long westward 11% grade to Oberalppass station which begins just west of Dieni station and requires rack assistance.

Also on the RhB former MOB(Montreaux Oberland Bernois) GE 4/4 locomotive 8002, has arrived at RhB's Landquart Shops for conversion tto operate under RhB's 11kV/16.7 Hz electrification, after which it will become a RhB locomotive, number unknown. The locomotive is one of 4 MOB locomotives of Class GE 4/4 numbers 8001 - 8004 built by ADtranz to operate under MOB's 900 V DC cantenary using a 3-phase AC asynchronous final drive. These locomotives are cousins to similar RhB Class Ge 4/4 III locomotives 641 - 652 and BAM (Briére-Apples-Morges) locomotives 21, 22 which operate under 15kV/16.7 Hz cantenary. One further MOB locomotive is to be sold to the RhB.


The SBB Board of Directors has ordered SBB Personenverkehr to report within two weeks time on what measures are to be taken to address the fall in passenger On-time percentage to a system-wide average of 90.1%. This number is calculated on a per passenger basis, and not on a per train basis, and is based on an allowance of 3 minutes late.

The Stadler-built RABDe501 "Giruno" EMUs have received unrestrictedd approval for operations in Switzerland and should begin operating between Switzerland and Milan this fall..

So the rack section immediately east of Disentis station was removed  ?

Those MOB Ge's were built with 15 Kv capability to operate on the BLS as part of the great Third Rail project;  now that MOB is getting gauge-changeable stock, that dream is really dead.

SZ

 

SOO6617 Wrote:
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> As part of Project Capricorn to increase the Chur
> S-Bahn network in Canton Graubünden, the
> Rhätiche Bahn has conducted test runs over the
> eastern portion of the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn
> from Disentis/Mustáir station to Dieni station
> just west of Sedrun, using a slightly modified
> Allegra EMU. It has been proposed that the RhB
> would take over the operation of the MGB between
> Disentis?Mustáir and Sedrun with the Interchange
> of the Glacier Express moved to Sedrun. A small
> number of S-Bahn trains would continue on to Dieni
> with RhB crews during the morning and evening
> commuter peaks.

I rode that section of the MGB on a visit last September.  Quite a few of the stations were in the midst of work to extend their platforms, including Dieni, Bugnei and Mumpe Tejetsch. Was that being done to facilitate operation by RhB S-Bahn trains?

Steinzeit2 Wrote:
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> So the rack section immediately east of Disentis
> station was removed  ?
>
> Those MOB Ge's were built with 15 Kv capability to
> operate on the BLS as part of the great Third Rail
> project;  now that MOB is getting
> gauge-changeable stock, that dream is really
> dead.

The rack section is immediately west of Disentis/Mustair station and is still intact and used daily by the MGB trains. It is on a 6.7% grade westbound, but that is less than grades faced daily by RhB trains using only adhesion for traction. If this change had been planned much earlier when this section of the Furka Oberalp had a minor line relocation in this area the curve that this rack section covers could have been eased outward reducing the grade to about 5%. If the change in ownership occurs then the rack section will be removed. 

The MOB's plans for the "Golden Pass" have changed several times over the last several years depending on the lastest idea for running through cars/trainsets from Montreaux to Luzern. The final plan is to build two trainsets to be powered by separate locomotives. Even at this the plan was to use the GDe 4/4 locomotives as power and sell 3 out of 4 Ge 4/4s to the RhB. Then somebody figured out that the GDe 4/4s couldn't provide enough HEP and so it was decided to keep 2 of the four Ge 4/4 locos.
Of course this means there would be no reserve loco. We will have to wait and see if MOB sells the second Ge 4/4 or not.

railsmith Wrote:
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> I rode that section of the MGB on a visit last
> September.  Quite a few of the stations were in
> the midst of work to extend their platforms,
> including Dieni, Bugnei and Mumpe Tejetsch. Was
> that being done to facilitate operation by RhB
> S-Bahn trains?

I believe so, yes.

SOO6617 Wrote:

> The rack section is immediately west of
> Disentis/Mustair station and is still intact and
> used daily by the MGB trains. It is on a 6.7%
> grade westbound, but that is less than grades
> faced daily by RhB trains using only adhesion for
> traction. If this change ......... to about 5%. If
> the change in ownership occurs then the rack
> section will be removed. 

a)  Yes, I was thinking 'west' and typed 'east'.

b)  Certainly, the RhB has 7% grades, but that's on the Bernina line.  There are or were 6% grades on the Arosa and Mesocco lines, but the steepest grade on the Main Net is 4.5%, and the ruling grade on the Disentis line is 2.7%   I can see the newest generation railcars tackling that 6.7%, but not a locomotive hauled train of the weight of the Glacier Express -- unless the practice of cars now added or subtracted at Disentis stays there.  Are the Glacier cars still changed from air to vacuum braking or vice versa at Disentis ?

c)  The MOB is getting new railcars from Stadler for the Golden Pass haulage.  Personally I think an FZe6/6 would look great on that service.......

Best regards, SZ

Steinzeit2 Wrote:
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> b)  Certainly, the RhB has 7% grades, but that's
> on the Bernina line.  There are or were 6% grades
> on the Arosa and Mesocco lines, but the steepest
> grade on the Main Net is 4.5%, and the ruling
> grade on the Disentis line is 2.7%   I can see
> the newest generation railcars tackling that 6.7%,
> but not a locomotive hauled train of the weight of
> the Glacier Express -- unless the practice of cars
> now added or subtracted at Disentis stays there. 
> Are the Glacier cars still changed from air to
> vacuum braking or vice versa at Disentis ?

There is going to be a whole lot less locomotive hauled trains on the RhB once the 27 Capricorn EMUs are delivered, not many locomotives older than the Ge 4/4 III type will be needed except for Historical purposes.

> c)  The MOB is getting new railcars from Stadler
> for the Golden Pass haulage.  Personally I think
> an FZe6/6 would look great on that service.......

Could you describe what that design would look like, I just can't picture it. ;-)

JB