Lausanne–Echallens–Bercher railway

The Lausanne–Echallens–Bercher Railway (French: Chemin de fer Lausanne-Échallens-Bercher, LEB) is a metre gauge railway in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. The line connects the city of Lausanne with Bercher via Echallens, and is 23.6 km (14.7 mi) long.[1]

Lausanne–Echallens–Bercher railway
Overview
Native name	Chemin de fer Lausanne-Échallens-Bercher
Type	narrow gauge commuter rail
Locale	Vaud
Termini	Lausanne-Flon Bercher
Stations	21
Website	http://www.leb.ch
Operation
Opened	4 November 1873
Technical
Track length	23.6 km (14.7 mi)[1]
Track gauge	1,000 mm (3 ft 3 ^3⁄8 in)[1]
Electrification	1500 V DC[1]
Maximum incline	6%
Route diagram distance elevation -0.9 km -0.6 mi Lausanne-Flon 472 m (1,549 ft) Chauderon tunnel 445 m (1,460 ft) -0.4 km -0.2 mi Lausanne-Chauderon 471 m (1,545 ft) Chauderon tunnel 540 m (1,770 ft) 1.0 km 0.6 mi Montétan 498 m (1,634 ft) 1.6 km 1 mi Union-Prilly 510 m (1,670 ft) 2.2 km 1.4 mi Prilly-Chasseur 524 m (1,719 ft) 2.7 km 1.7 mi Cery-Fleur-de-Lys 542 m (1,778 ft) 3.3 km 2.1 mi Jouxtens-Mézery 552 m (1,811 ft) 4.2 km 2.6 mi Le Lussex 590 m (1,940 ft) 5.0 km 3.1 mi Romanel-sur-Lausanne 590 m (1,940 ft) 5.8 km 3.6 mi Vernand-Camarès 597 m (1,959 ft) 6.7 km 4.2 mi Bel-Air LEB 605 m (1,985 ft) 7.4 km 4.6 mi Cheseaux 608 m (1,995 ft) 8.2 km 5.1 mi Les Ripes 623 m (2,044 ft) 9.2 km 5.7 mi Étagnières 628 m (2,060 ft) 10.8 km 6.7 mi Assens 625 m (2,051 ft) 14.2 km 8.8 mi Échallens 617 m (2,024 ft) 14.8 km 9.2 mi Sur Roche 625 m (2,051 ft) 15.2 km 9.4 mi Grésaley 622 m (2,041 ft) 17.4 km 10.8 mi Sugnens 647 m (2,123 ft) 20.2 km 12.6 mi Fey 645 m (2,116 ft) 22.8 km 14.2 mi Bercher 627 m (2,057 ft)

History

Old logo.

After an initial test train ran between Lausanne-Chauderon station and Prilly-Chasseur on 3 October 1873, the first section of line came into service from Lausanne to Cheseaux on 4 November. The line through to Échallens opened in June 1874. Under a legally separate entity, the route to Bercher was completed and opened on 28 November 1889.

At the Lausanne end of the line, developments came later. Chauderon station was moved underground and the original station razed in 1995. Trains continued to terminate at Chauderon until 2000, when an extension to Lausanne-Flon station opened, permitting interchange with the Lausanne Métro.

Future

Together, the railway company, the canton, and the city of Lausanne have plans to upgrade the line to permit more frequent trains. Building of a new double track tunnel between Chauderon and Montétan stations is expected to take place by 2022, permitting up to 8 trains to run per hour in each direction on the urban section as far as Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne.[2]

References

1. "Lausanne – Bercher EMU delivered". railwaygazette.com. Railway Gazette. August 14, 2019. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
2. "le LEB - Site officiel de la Ville de Lausanne". City of Lausanne. Retrieved 2014-08-13.

External links

• Media related to Lausanne–Echallens–Bercher railway at Wikimedia Commons
• Official web site of the LEB (in French)