Two Swiss railway operators announced the continuation of cooperation

Two Swiss railway operators, BLS and Swiss Federal Railways (SBB), will continue to cooperate in the field of long-distance travel.

In December 2023, BLS introduced a new long-distance connection. The IR56 route Biel/Bienne-Delemont-Basel will now operate on a half-hourly schedule, providing a more attractive option for travelers, Travel And Tour World writes.

Since 2019, SBB and BLS have been effectively cooperating in several areas. Among them: Bern-Olten, Bern-Bel/Bienne and Bern-Neuschatel-La Chaux-de-Fonds.

In the future, SBB, BLS, and a third Swiss railroad company, Südostbahn (SOB), plan to extend this successful cooperation model for the next concession period, starting in December 2029.

Under this model, SBB retains the long-distance concession but delegates the operation of certain long-distance lines to BLS and SOB.

This joint effort was strengthened in 2022 with the participation of the Federal Ministry of Transport (BAV).

Starting in December 2025, Northwest Switzerland will witness an improved travel experience with the introduction of a half-hourly timetable on the Biel/Bienne-Delémont-Basel SBB intercity route.

The opening of the Grellingen-Duggingen double-track line contributes to this improvement.

As TravelWise reported earlier, the best train travel in the world was named.