Table 4.5: Metro and Suburban Rail
U.S., Canada, Western Europe and Australasia
Bern     (4.5.1, 2008.2)
City and Country
Population Served
System Length, km / mi
Annual Passengers (million)
Average Travel Distance, km / mi
Annual Traffic Density (million)
           
Bern-Switzerland-all rlys-1920
CH
@ 3,880,000
5,233 / 3,244
114.9
20.3 / 12.7
0.3
1930
  
@ 4,066,000
5,302 / 3,287
175.8
20.0 / 12.4
0.4
1940
  
@ 4,230,000
5,311 / 3,293
170.5
21.5 / 13.3
0.7
1955
  
@ 4,980,000
5,142 / 3,189
284.5
25.1 / 15.6
1.4
1970
  
@ 6,270,000
5,025 / 3,116
322.6
28.9 / 17.9
1.9
1984
  
@ 6,456,000
5,096 / 3,160
315.9
32.9 / 20.4
2.0
2002
  
@ 7,260,000
5,159 / 3,199
383.5
36.9 / 22.9
2.7
Switzerland-SBB-1910
  
@ 3,753,000
      
0.7
1920
  
@ 3,880,000
2,800 / 1,736
86.0
23.3 / 14.4
0.7
1930
  
@ 4,066,000
2,868 / 1,778
127.9
23.7 / 14.7
1.0
1940
  
@ 4,230,000
2,897 / 1,796
124.5
25.4 / 15.7
1.1
1955
  
@ 4,980,000
2,910 / 1,804
208.3
30.1 / 18.7
2.2
1970
  
@ 6,270,000
2,884 / 1,788
230.7
35.4 / 21.9
2.8
1984
  
@ 6,456,000
"
218.1
41.5 / 25.7
3.7
2002
  
@ 7,260,000
2,893 / 1,794
245.3
49.9 / 30.9
4.2
2004
  
7,300,000
2,896 / 1,796
253.4
49.8 / 30.9
4.4
             
S-Bahn - all rlys
  
500,000
u 128,000
339.6 / 210.6
36
12.6 / 7.8
1.4
SBB
    
160.1 / 99.2
      
             
BN-1910
    
42.8 / 26.5
    
0.3
1920
    
"
0.9
17.0 / 10.5
0.4
1930
    
"
1.6
14.1 / 8.7
0.5
1940
    
"
1.7
16.3 / 10.1
0.6
1955
    
"
2.3
15.6 / 9.7
0.8
1970
    
"
2.9
18.6 / 11.5
1.3
1984
    
"
3.7
15.5 / 9.6
1.3
2002
  
190,000
"
4.2
17.0 / 10.5
1.7
GBS-Gürbetal-1910
    
34.5 / 21.4
    
0.3
1920
    
"
1.0
12.3 / 7.6
0.4
1930
    
"
1.2
15.0 / 9.3
0.5
1940
    
"
1.1
16.0 / 9.9
0.5
1955
    
"
1.9
13.5 / 8.4
0.7
1970
    
"
2.2
14.6 / 9.1
0.8
1984
    
"
2.4
13.6 / 8.4
0.8
2002
  
200,000
"
3.6
17.5 / 10.8
1.8
GBS-Schwarzenburg-1910
    
20.9 / 13.0
    
0.1
1920
    
"
0.4
11.0 / 6.8
0.2
1930
    
"
0.4
12.7 / 7.9
0.2
1940
    
"
0.4
13.4 / 8.3
0.2
1955
    
"
0.6
11.5 / 7.1
0.3
1970
    
"
0.7
12.0 / 7.4
0.4
1984
    
"
0.8
11.6 / 7.2
0.4
2002
  
180,000
"
1.2
14.5 / 9.0
0.8
Flamatt-STB-1910
    
11.4 / 7.0
    
0.04
1920
    
"
0.07
5.2 / 3.2
0.03
1930
    
"
    
0.05
1940
    
"
0.2
4.0/ 2.5
0.06
1955
    
"
0.2
5.5 / 3.4
0.1
1970
    
"
0.4
4.8 / 3.0
0.1
1984
    
"
0.5
5.2 / 3.2
0.2
2002
  
10,000
6.8 / 4.1
0.9
4.9 / 3.0
0.4
DMB-fn-1910
    
0.105 / 0.06
0.2
0.105 / 0.06
0.2
1930
    
"
0.3
"
0.3
1940
    
"
0.3
"
0.3
1955
    
"
0.6
"
0.6
1970
    
"
0.6
"
0.6
1984
    
"
0.6
"
0.6
1997
    
"
0.9
"
0.9
GB-fn-1910
    
1.045 / 0.6
0.06
1.045 / 0.6
0.06
1930
    
"
0.1
"
0.1
1940
    
"
0.1
"
0.1
1955
    
"
0.2
"
0.2
1970
    
"
0.4
"
0.4
1984
    
"
0.4
"
0.4
1997
    
"
0.3
"
0.3
Key to Symbols:
* = in planning; ** = under construction.
*** = operated for less than 12 months as noted; traffic density scaled up to annual rate.
@ = population corresponds with historic data year.
u = population within municipal boundary.
 
Notes for Table 4.5
Bern-Switzerland - General: The land area of Switzerland is 39,551 km2 / 15,203 sq mi. The country ranks 32nd by area and 23rd by population among European states. Selected comparisons between Switzerland and states (or subdivisions) located away from Europe:
Country
Subdivision
Area Index
Population Index
US
Connecticut + Massachusetts
83
133
US
Connecticut + Massachusetts + Rhode Island
90
147
US
San Francisco Bay Area, CA
46
92
The land area of Switzerland is 10 percent larger than the combined land area of the US [federal] states of Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. However, the combined population size of CT, MA and RI (11,010,000, at 2006) is nearly 1.5 times the Swiss population size.
The total population of the nine counties (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Sonoma) of the San Francisco Bay Area (California, US) is 92 percent of the Swiss population (at 2006), but the total land area of these counties is 46 percent of the area of Switzerland.
Switzerland-all rlys: Data pertain to all passenger services operated by all Swiss railways.
Switzerland-SBB: Data pertain to all passenger services operated by SBB/CFF/FFS.
S-Bahn- all rlys: Data pertain to overall Bern S-Bahn network, which includes lines owned by SBB, former BLS subsidiaries BN and GBS, RBS, and STB.
BN: Bern-Neuenburg-Bahn (in German) / Chemin de fer Berne-Neuchâtel (in French). Operates Bern – Neuchâtel. Opened 1901 July 1. Electrified in stages 1923 September 13 - 1928 May 14 (SBB system: 15 kV 16⅔ Hz a.c.).
GBS: Gürbetal-Bern-Schwarzenburg-Bahn.
GBS-Gürbetal: Bern – Belp – Thun. Opened in stages 1901 August 14 - 1902 November 1 by Gürbetalbahn (GTB). Electrified 1920 August 16 (SBB system: 15 kV 16⅔ Hz a.c.).
GBS-Schwarzenburg: Bern – Schwarzenburg. Opened 1907 June 1 by Bern-Schwarzenburg-Bahn (BSB). Electrified 1920 December 6 (SBB system: 15 kV 16⅔ Hz a.c.).
GTB and BSB merged as GBS from 1944.
BLS (see under Thun, Table 4.33) and subsidiaries BN, GBS and SEZ (see under Spiez, Table 4.30) merged as BLS Lötschbergbahn from 1997. BLS Lötschbergbahn and RM (see under Langenthal, Table 4.15, and Solothurn, Table 4.30).
Flamatt-STB: Senestalbahn AG. Flamatt – Laupen – Gümenen opened 1904 January 23. Electrified 1938 January 30 (SBB system: 15 kV 16⅔ Hz a.c.). Laupen – Gümenen closed 1993 May 23. The undertaking continues as a bus operator and rail infrastructure owner, but no longer operates trains (from 2001).
DMB: Drahtseilbahn Marzili-Stadt Bern, funicular.
GB: Gurtenbahn Bern AG, funicular.
Bahn 2000: Project includes new line Matstetten – Rothrist, 45 km / 28 mi, to permit reduction of fastest Bern – Zürich timing from 1 h 9 min to 58 min. Opened 2004 December 12. Increase of maximum permitted speed from 160 km/h / 99 mph to 200 km/h / 124 mph, once anticipated by 2006 December, has not been carried out (at 2008 February).