The German InterCityExpress trains are the only real high speed trains that operate in Switzerland,
even though they cannot develop high speeds on the Swiss railway network.
They nevertheless connect Switzerland to the German high speed net.
An ICE train stands in Interlaken Ost.
[Apr 2016].
|
With 12 intermediate carriages and a power unit at either end, the
ICE trains are quite long.
An ICE train is seen near Uttigen.
[Dec 2015].
|
In Switzerland ICE trains of the first series, class 401, are used.
These trains were delivered from 1991 onwards.
They are operated by the German state railway DB, but in Switzerland the personnel is supplied by SBB.
An ICE travels north past Lerchenfeld, a suburb of Thun.
[Nov 2015].
|
Shortly after the train from the opposite direction passed by.
[Nov 2015].
|
On a cloudy day this class 401 ICE train has left Spiez and now heads past Einigen towards Thun.
[Oct 2015].
|
A few days later the sun was out and the view to the mountains of the Bernese Oberland was clear,
as an ICE travels north near Einigen.
[Oct 2015].
|
On its journey from Interlaken to Germany an ICE travels past the village of Faulensee on the shores of Lake Thun.
I took this photo from the deck of a ship on the lake.
[May 2014].
|
Between Leissigen and Interlaken West the railway line is directly beside Lake Thun,
so that the train sometimes nearly seems to travel through water.
This is the view from the window of an ICE train.
[Oct 2015].
|
A class 401 ICE departs Interlaken West.
[Oct 2015].
|
ICE trains travel from Germany to Interlaken via Basel and Bern.
There are also several ICE service to Zürich and Chur.
One of the ICE trains stands in Interlaken Ost.
On the right is an SBB InterCity train.
[Jan 2016].
|
All the ICE trains carry names.
This train is called Interlaken.
On this night I saw it in Interlaken Ost.
[Jan 2016].
|
From 2019 onwards the new ICE 4 class 412 were used for trains going to Switzerland.
These trains can carry more passengers.
For Switzerland it doesn't matter that they can't go as fast.
Here an ICE 4 crosses the Lorraine Railway Viaduct in Bern.
[Jun 2025].
|
The Class 412 ICE trains have longer carriages and therefore have to drive a bit slower through the many curves on the line between Interlaken and Spiez.
One of the trains travels along Lake Thun near Därligen.
[Jul 2025].
|
In 2019 Deutsche Bahn bought 17 InterCity trains from Austrian operator Westbahn.
These type KISS six-part electric multiple units were built from 2013 by Stadler Rail in Switzerland.
DB used them until 2025 also between Stuttgart and Zürich via Singen and Schaffhausen and then sold them to the Austrian State Railways ÖBB.
One of the trains stands in Zürich Main Station.
[May 2025].
|
The Deutsche Bahn (DB) also operates freight trains in Switzerland.
For many years it worked together with the BLS, but now more with the SBB.
Class 185 locos from DB haul a train of clay waggons past Lerchenfeld.
[Nov 2015].
|
The class 185 locomotives entered service from 2000 onwards.
Two of the locomotives stand with their freight train in Thun
to await a gap in the busy passenger train timetable.
[Jan 2018].
|
Two class 185 DB locos haul a train of multimodal containers on the Lötschberg line.
[Jul 2007].
|
The German InterCityExpress trains are the only real high speed trains that operate in Switzerland,
even though they cannot develop high speeds on the Swiss railway network.
They nevertheless connect Switzerland to the German high speed net.
An ICE train stands in Interlaken Ost.
[Apr 2016].
With 12 intermediate carriages and a power unit at either end, the
ICE trains are quite long.
An ICE train is seen near Uttigen.
[Dec 2015].
In Switzerland ICE trains of the first series, class 401, are used.
These trains were delivered from 1991 onwards.
They are operated by the German state railway DB, but in Switzerland the personnel is supplied by SBB.
An ICE travels north past Lerchenfeld, a suburb of Thun.
[Nov 2015].
Shortly after the train from the opposite direction passed by.
[Nov 2015].
On a cloudy day this class 401 ICE train has left Spiez and now heads past Einigen towards Thun.
[Oct 2015].
A few days later the sun was out and the view to the mountains of the Bernese Oberland was clear,
as an ICE travels north near Einigen.
[Oct 2015].
On its journey from Interlaken to Germany an ICE travels past the village of Faulensee on the shores of Lake Thun.
I took this photo from the deck of a ship on the lake.
[May 2014].
Between Leissigen and Interlaken West the railway line is directly beside Lake Thun,
so that the train sometimes nearly seems to travel through water.
This is the view from the window of an ICE train.
[Oct 2015].
A class 401 ICE departs Interlaken West.
[Oct 2015].
ICE trains travel from Germany to Interlaken via Basel and Bern.
There are also several ICE service to Zürich and Chur.
One of the ICE trains stands in Interlaken Ost.
On the right is an SBB InterCity train.
[Jan 2016].
All the ICE trains carry names.
This train is called Interlaken.
On this night I saw it in Interlaken Ost.
[Jan 2016].
From 2019 onwards the new ICE 4 class 412 were used for trains going to Switzerland.
These trains can carry more passengers.
For Switzerland it doesn't matter that they can't go as fast.
Here an ICE 4 crosses the Lorraine Railway Viaduct in Bern.
[Jun 2025].
The Class 412 ICE trains have longer carriages and therefore have to drive a bit slower through the many curves on the line between Interlaken and Spiez.
One of the trains travels along Lake Thun near Därligen.
[Jul 2025].
In 2019 Deutsche Bahn bought 17 InterCity trains from Austrian operator Westbahn.
These type KISS six-part electric multiple units were built from 2013 by Stadler Rail in Switzerland.
DB used them until 2025 also between Stuttgart and Zürich via Singen and Schaffhausen and then sold them to the Austrian State Railways ÖBB.
One of the trains stands in Zürich Main Station.
[May 2025].
The Deutsche Bahn (DB) also operates freight trains in Switzerland.
For many years it worked together with the BLS, but now more with the SBB.
Class 185 locos from DB haul a train of clay waggons past Lerchenfeld.
[Nov 2015].
The class 185 locomotives entered service from 2000 onwards.
Two of the locomotives stand with their freight train in Thun
to await a gap in the busy passenger train timetable.
[Jan 2018].
Two class 185 DB locos haul a train of multimodal containers on the Lötschberg line.
[Jul 2007].