Meiringen railway station

Meiringen
Location Bahnhofplatz
Meiringen, Bern
Switzerland
Coordinates 46°43′38″N 8°11′09″E / 46.72715°N 8.185823°ECoordinates: 46°43′38″N 8°11′09″E / 46.72715°N 8.185823°E
Elevation 595 m (1,952 ft)
Operated by Zentralbahn
Meiringen–Innertkirchen railway
Line(s) Brünig line (Zentralbahn)
Meiringen–Innertkirchen railway
Connections PostBus Switzerland
Location
Meiringen
Location within Switzerland
The station platforms, prior to remodelling
Eponymous locomotive in the station
MIB railcar in its original terminal platform, before extension into the main station

Meiringen is a railway station in the town of Meiringen in the Swiss canton of Bern. Meiringen is a railway junction at the meeting point of two railway lines. The Brünig line of the Zentralbahn is an inter-regional metre gauge railway that links Interlaken and Lucerne, whilst the Meiringen–Innertkirchen railway (MIB) is a local railway that links to Innertkirchen and the Aar Gorge.[1][2]

The station is served by passenger trains of both operators, and also provides an interchange with the local bus network provided by PostBus Switzerland. One such route connects to the Reichenbachfall funicular, which links the town to the Reichenbach Falls. Another route provides a service to Grindelwald over the Grosse Scheidegg Pass, using a road closed to most other traffic.[3][4]

Operation

Layout

All trains on the Brünig line enter and leave the station at its western end, and must reverse in the station to continue their journey. Immediately to the west of the station is a junction and trains heading to Interlaken continue westwards down the valley of the Aar river, whilst trains heading to Lucerne turn to the north and commence their climb to the Brünig Pass. The line up to the Brünig Pass is equipped with rack rails, and Meiringen is the furthest station from Interlaken that can be served by trains not fitted with rack equipment.[2]

Trains on the Meiringen–Innertkirchen railway enter and leave by the station's eastern end. Although both railways are metre gauge and are physically connected, they use incompatible electrification systems. There are no through passenger trains, although freight traffic is interchanged.[2]

The station has two west facing terminal platform tracks, numbered 1 and 2, and a third through platform track, numbered 3 for most of its length but 13 at its eastern end. Track 1 is served by a side platform adjacent to the station buildings, whilst 2 and 3 flank an island platform accessed by a concourse across the terminal end of tracks 1 and 2. Tracks 1, 2 and 3 are used by Brünig line trains, track 13 by Meiringen–Innertkirchen trains.

To the east of the station, the Meiringen–Innertkirchen railway crosses a level crossing and to the east of this is a further platform and terminal track. This was previously used by the Meiringen–Innertkirchen railway as its terminus, before a reorganisation of track and electrification systems allowed its extension into the main station.

Train Services

The following services currently serve Meiringen:[5][6]

Operator Train Type Route Typical Frequency Notes
Zentralbahn InterRegio Interlaken Ost - Brienz - Meiringen - Brünig-Hasliberg - Lungern - Kaiserstuhl OW - Giswil - Sarnen - Alpnach Dorf - Hergiswil - Lucerne 1 per hour
Zentralbahn Regio Interlaken Ost - Ringgenberg - Niederried - Oberried am Brienzersee - Ebligen - Brienz West - Brienz - Brienzwiler - Meiringen 1 per hour
MIB Regio Meiringen - Alpbach - Aareschlucht West - Aareschlucht Ost - Unterwasser - Innertkirchen Post - Innertkirchen KVO 1 or 2 per hour

References

  1. ↑ map.geo.admin.ch (Map). Swiss Confederation. Retrieved 2013-01-07.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Eisenbahnatlas Schweiz. Verlag Schweers + Wall GmbH. 2012. p. 33. ISBN 978-3-89494-130-7.
  3. ↑ "Grindelwald–Grosse Scheidegg–Schwarzwaldalp–(Meiringen)" (PDF). Bundesamt für Verkehr. Retrieved 2013-01-28.
  4. ↑ "Geissholz–Meiringen–Unterbach" (PDF). Bundesamt für Verkehr. Retrieved 2013-01-08.
  5. ↑ "Luzern–Brünig–Interlaken" (PDF). Bundesamt für Verkehr. Retrieved 2013-01-07.
  6. ↑ "Meiringen–Innertkirchen" (PDF). Bundesamt für Verkehr. Retrieved 2013-01-07.

External links