Simplon Railway

Simplon Railway
1928 poster, showing the line passing the Chateau du Chillon
Overview
Native nameSimplonstrecke or Simplonlinie
Termini
Technical
Line length232.5 km (144.5 mi)
Number of tracks2
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Electrification15 kV/16.7 Hz AC overhead catenary
Operating speed160 km/h (99 mph) (Passenger trains)

140 km/h (87 mph) (Freight trains)

200 km/h (120 mph) (Planned for 2030)
Route map

elev (M)
or length (m)
in metres
Mont d’Or Tunnel
46.3
Vallorbe
806.9 m
CHEFRA
border
Pontarlier–Vallorbe railway
to Pontarlier
152 m
43.2
Le Day
787.2 M
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
19.1
Daillens
445.1 M
Daillens-Poste parcel distribution centre
14.5
Cossonay-Penthalaz
428.0 M
11.0
Vufflens-la-Ville
406.8 M
9.9
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
8.03
8.15
Denges
chainage correction: -0.01
to Lausanne marshalling yard
Larges-Pièces bridge
106 m
6.1
Archy
404.4 M
4.51
Renens VD
415.9 M
3.76
3.79
Renens VD-Est junction
416.3 M
Galicien bridge
147 m
2.35
Prilly-Malley
430.4 M
1.52
0.05
Lausanne-Sébeillon
freight yard
449.8 M
0.00
 
junction
Olivier Français Tunnel
3,796 m
3.97
Lausanne-Tridel
waste incinerator
594.5 M
1.13
Lausanne junction
442.2 M
0.00
Lausanne
447.1 M
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
Vevey–Chexbres railway
to Puidoux-Chexbres
La Veveyse
18.40
Vevey
Vevey
funicular
&
VCMP funicular
to Mont Pèlerin
386.1 M
19.90
La Tour-de-Peilz
390.4 M
21.53
Burier
395.9 M
Crêtes Tunnel
302 m
23.10
Clarens
399.6 M
24.54
Montreux
395.4 M
Trait–Planches railway
26.02
386.2 M
 
TMF funicular
to Mont Fleuri
27.09
Veytaux-Chillon
379.8 M
29.34
Villeneuve VD
374.8 M
33.84
Roche VD
379.6 M
37.71
Yvorne
395.0 M
Aigle–Leysin railway
(TPC) to Leysin-Grand-Hôtel
39.31
Aigle
403.9 M
43.60
St-Triphon
(
former passen-
ger station
)
390.7 M
47.56
Bex
411.0 M
49.42
Massongex bridge
over the Rhone
Canton of Vaud
Canton of Valais
87 m
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
66.50
Martigny
467.0 M
Martigny–Orsières railway
to Martigny–Bourg
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 passen-
ger station
)
507.9 M
108.13
Sierre/Siders
Sierre–Montana-Crans funicular
to Montana-Crans
Gobet Tunnel
251 m
chainage correction -0.04
Raspille Tunnel
80 m
112.25
Salgesch
575.9 M
new line opened 2004
Varonne Tunnel
137 m
2,816 m
Dala bridge
79 m
Leuk Tunnel
125 m
1,388 m
Rhône bridge
180 m
117.58
Leuk
Leuk–Leukerbad railway
to Leukerbad
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
130.09
St. German
646.5 M
chainage correction -0.01
Vispa bridge
45 m
136.66
Visp
646.5 M
141.1
Gamsen SBB
660.9 M
Furka Oberalp Railway
(MGB) via Naters until 2007
145.55
Brig
car loading
677.7 M
147.15
Brig Tunnel
682.4 M
19,823 m
19,803 m
156.24
156.34
Tunnel station
700.2 M
156.77
701.9 M
Iselle Tunnel
169 m
167.22
19.06
Iselle di Trasquera
car
loading
629.5 M
Trasquera Tunnel
1,792 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
2,327 m
Preglia bridge
82 m
3.83
Preglia
331.0 M
Bogna bridge
96 m
0.00
5.06
Domodossola I
270.1 M
Domodossola–Novara railway
(RFI) to Novara
Via Torino bridge
335 m
Toce bridge
298 m
0.00
Domodossola II
239.0 M
elev (M)
or length (m)
in metres
Source: Swiss railway atlas

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.