In Switzerland labor is expensive, and capital is cheap. Which is why we tend to go for solutions that are more capital and less labor intensive. Trams are an example.
In Bern there is a new tram line being built. It is going to replace a bus line that runs 2 minute headway during rush hour with a tram service that will run on a 6 minute headway. Requires investment, but in the end you move the same amount of people with less drivers.
Hell yeah, transit explained on substack!! I actually planned most of my recent holiday trip around Europe around places and transit lines I found through RMTransit's transit explained episodes, and Zurich was one of the stops because of S10! Delightful (pricey) ride up the mountain on single-track followed by a snowy hike alongside the tracks for most of the way up to the "Top of Zurich", so thanks for that Reece!
Also rode the trolleybuses (big up 33) a lot, unfortunately didn't get around to the S18 but I saw on the other track zooming past while I was riding a tram haha
I should add that Swiss tram operators, like many other European operators of first generation tramways, continue to buy new unidirectional trams with doors on only one side.
Newcomers to light rail nearly always double down on being bidirectional, with island as well as side platforms - on opposite sides in the direction of travel.
There is, however, a tram tunnel in Zuerich with island platforms but trams run on the left in that tunnel, so still to the offside - the curbside in right-hand traffic.
Just a conventional layout. After all, you don't *have* to stop at a stop, the only issue is if you get stuck behind a vehicles in front of you, so in these situations "express" vehicles tend to depart right before a local vehicle in the section where express running will happen to give them maximum room to operate express without catching the next vehicle.
Low means very different things in Europe versus North America. Or even from city to city. I was in Montreal and rode the Pie IX BRT and was broadly impressed (cost and construction timelines aside). But the locals complained about the low frequency, yet I rode the bus around 9 pm and most departures were less than 10 minutes apart! Albeit with a few gaps around 15 minutes due to the branched lines. Still - that is quite good by my small city experience.
On a related note, which Swiss tram systems have request stops? I know the Zuerich system does and that the Geneva one does too. Note that just because a system operates on a request stop policy does not mean it is the norm for a stop where no one is waiting to not be requested.
In Geneva, all mid-route stops have been request stops since the 12th of December 2021. However, it seems plenty of operators in Poland and Czechia are happy with stopping on demand only at certain stops - for example on Prague's trams where a bell icon where the next stop is displayed indicates a request stop.
There are people over on discord that will not take compulsory stopping seriously, some will only take it seriously if it is a universal thing.
I have heard of people missing their stops not because they forgot to press the button or pull the cord, but because they did not expect to have the request them, something that not only Toronto does not take seriously but even the Swiss do not seem to take this seriously in a urban transit setting.
In Switzerland labor is expensive, and capital is cheap. Which is why we tend to go for solutions that are more capital and less labor intensive. Trams are an example.
In Bern there is a new tram line being built. It is going to replace a bus line that runs 2 minute headway during rush hour with a tram service that will run on a 6 minute headway. Requires investment, but in the end you move the same amount of people with less drivers.
I want to see the new line in Bern
The most capital and least labor intensive transit is driverless metro. Why don't Switzerland build this?
Well thats like saying that planes are faster than buses why don't people fly everywhere!
What about Lausanne?
There is metro there, indeed.
It turns out that trams are to return to Lausanne.
You also have a huge supply of hydroelectric power, which might have at least saved the trolleybuses from abandonment.
Hell yeah, transit explained on substack!! I actually planned most of my recent holiday trip around Europe around places and transit lines I found through RMTransit's transit explained episodes, and Zurich was one of the stops because of S10! Delightful (pricey) ride up the mountain on single-track followed by a snowy hike alongside the tracks for most of the way up to the "Top of Zurich", so thanks for that Reece!
Also rode the trolleybuses (big up 33) a lot, unfortunately didn't get around to the S18 but I saw on the other track zooming past while I was riding a tram haha
So happy to hear that! Especially that you checked out S10!
The Swiss care, the American car.
They really do care!
I should add that Swiss tram operators, like many other European operators of first generation tramways, continue to buy new unidirectional trams with doors on only one side.
Newcomers to light rail nearly always double down on being bidirectional, with island as well as side platforms - on opposite sides in the direction of travel.
There is, however, a tram tunnel in Zuerich with island platforms but trams run on the left in that tunnel, so still to the offside - the curbside in right-hand traffic.
Loved this alot!
Happy to hear that!
You mentioned that some trams skip city centre stops: what arrangement of tracks and station platforms makes that work?
Just a conventional layout. After all, you don't *have* to stop at a stop, the only issue is if you get stuck behind a vehicles in front of you, so in these situations "express" vehicles tend to depart right before a local vehicle in the section where express running will happen to give them maximum room to operate express without catching the next vehicle.
So just famous Swiss railway scheduling and operations.
This works if the services on double track are at a low frequency.
Like less than every 15 minutes?
Low means very different things in Europe versus North America. Or even from city to city. I was in Montreal and rode the Pie IX BRT and was broadly impressed (cost and construction timelines aside). But the locals complained about the low frequency, yet I rode the bus around 9 pm and most departures were less than 10 minutes apart! Albeit with a few gaps around 15 minutes due to the branched lines. Still - that is quite good by my small city experience.
A low enough frequency to leave room for express or limited stop on double track, not sure what that is in the Zuerich example.
Interestingly it becomes a trade-off between frequency on the whole line and the ability to gain speed by running some trains express.
Unless there is an overtaking loop or unless there are four tracks.
On a related note, which Swiss tram systems have request stops? I know the Zuerich system does and that the Geneva one does too. Note that just because a system operates on a request stop policy does not mean it is the norm for a stop where no one is waiting to not be requested.
In Geneva, all mid-route stops have been request stops since the 12th of December 2021. However, it seems plenty of operators in Poland and Czechia are happy with stopping on demand only at certain stops - for example on Prague's trams where a bell icon where the next stop is displayed indicates a request stop.
There are people over on discord that will not take compulsory stopping seriously, some will only take it seriously if it is a universal thing.
I have heard of people missing their stops not because they forgot to press the button or pull the cord, but because they did not expect to have the request them, something that not only Toronto does not take seriously but even the Swiss do not seem to take this seriously in a urban transit setting.
Not sure what you're referring to by Discord
In that case, what is unclear about it?
You *have* mentioned some discord community in your videos.