Intro Not long ago, I was given the opportunity to be able to visit Switzerland for over a month. While I was there, I got to ride on a ton of different trains. More than ever, I want to see more Swiss content in TSW as they have so much to offer for the game. For the purpose of this post, I will be talking about the Lausanne-Geneva Railway. So without further ado, let’s get right into it! Route Information Route Length: 41 miles Total Stops (including the branch to Annemasse): 31 Top Speed: 160kmh (100mph) The Lausanne-Geneva Railway is a vital rail corridor traveling between Lausanne and Geneva. There is also a short branch line that goes to Geneva’s airport. I used this line multiple times to catch flights out of the airport and it was super convenient and easy to use with lots of trains serving the line. The line races along the stunning Lake Geneva at 160kmh and the massive Swiss mountains on the opposite side. There is lots to see for both the passengers and the driver. Most of the line between Lausanne and Geneva is relatively open with lots of fields and countryside, but also the occasional small town or two served by the slower trains. This line is also crucial for many international services to and from France. Geneva is in the westernmost portion of Switzerland, allowing for lots of train connections to France, from regional trains going into the French Alps, to high-speed TGV trains racing to Paris and Marseille. Because of this, I could not resist including an additional line to my suggestion that would allow players to briefly go into France. I chose a short 9-mile line that crosses into Annemasse France. This adds an additional 6 stations to the route. A decent amount of trains use this line, so it makes a lot of sense to include it since it would allow for a slower but more scenic ride than the high-speed mainline. Even though the route I am suggesting is relatively short, there is still lots to do, and is packed with lots of action. Before we talk about the rolling stock on this line, let’s talk about the many types of services that players would be able to experience. Service Types RER Vaud First, let’s talk about Lausanne’s regional rail system called RER Vaud. This is essentially the region’s S-Bahn system but mostly focuses on Lausanne. One difference between this and an S-Bahn you would see in Germany is that the stops are significantly more spread out on this line. You only make a single stop in most small towns that are along the line. On this route, there are quite a few lines that run along the line, but the two most important lines are the S5 and S6 lines. Other lines (S1, S2, S3, and S4) only run 3 stops between Lausanne and Renens VD, so we will not talk about them. Both the S5 and S6 line run to Allaman which is 10 stops and 11 miles in length. The S5 calls at all stops along the line while the S6 runs as a semi-fast service skipping Denges-Echandens, Lonay-Preverenges, and Morges-St-Jean. This is done because the S6 is longer than the S5, so it is done as a way to reduce travel times and provides a semi-fast service for the line. In addition, unlike most traditional S-Bahn services you would see in Germany, service frequencies are much lower. Both of these lines run hourly as they are more of a regional service than a commuter service. Both lines typically run 30 minutes apart from each other to provide 2 trains per hour between Lausanne and Allaman. In total, there are around 75 S5 and S6 services running on the line. I could see around 85-90 services total if we also include depot moves. The RER Vaud provides a somewhat similar experience to what we see on Luzern-Sursee with the mix of close-together and spaced-out stops and higher-speed running, unlike a traditional S-Bahn line in Germany. They will provide nice and short services that are less than 30 minutes long. However, it is your goal to stay on time as you are not the only one using these tracks. This line is packed with lots of fast trains that skip most RER stops, so you have to stay on top of your game to keep operations on the line running smoothly. Leman Express Moving on, we have an extremely unique regional service that serves Geneva and parts of France. This is the Leman Express. This is a very new service that was introduced in 2019. It is very similar to the RER Vaud that we just talked about. The line runs between Coppet and Annemasse (17 miles, 17 stops). It serves as a corridor for various Leman Express services that go to various places in France. The Leman Express makes relatively frequent stops, making it also serve as a commuter train for Geneva as there are no S-Bahn services that serve the area. In addition, it runs on a dedicated third track between Coppet and Geneva to stay out of the way of the many intercity trains. This also means that it mostly runs on a single track along this stretch of the line with passing sidings only at Chambesy and Mies. Switzerland is known for its precise scheduling, so just like the RER Vaud, you must do your best to stay on time to prevent delays of other Leman Express trains. Because of this, service frequencies are a bit strange as there are multiple lines that run on this single track. This includes the L1, L2, L3, and L4 (Runs only between Coppet and Annemasse). In total, there are around 130 services running on the line, with the majority of them being the L4 line. If we include depot moves, there will likely be around 145-160 services for the Leman Express. As mentioned before, staying on time is crucial, as there are hundreds of Leman Express trains running on the line that all need to use the single track used between Geneva and Coppet. The Leman Express will give players another option for slower commuter services from the RER Vaud that take around 51 minutes to complete. These services bring lots of interesting gameplay to the Geneva area and play a vital role in commuting thousands of passengers every day in and out of Geneva, and in and out of France. RegioExpress We are now picking up the pace. Let’s now talk about RegioExpress services. These trains serve as semi-fast regional trains along the line between Lausanne and Annemasse, skipping most stops that the RER Vaud and Leman Express would be calling at. They also serve some stops served exclusively by them around the halfway point of the route. These trains will also be able to run along the entirety of the route I am suggesting, giving these types of services some uniqueness over the Intercity and InterRegio services. RE services will call at 12 stops along the line. In Lausanne, trains will skip Prilly-Malley and call at Renens VD. Then, just like the S6 line, trains will run non-stop to Morges. Then trains will skip the rest of the RER stops and call at Allaman. From here, trains make multiple stops at Rolle, Gland, Nyon, and Coppet. From here, trains then run non-stop to Geneva skipping all stops called at by the Leman Express. From here, trains then run semi-fast to Annemasse only calling at Lancy-Pont-Rouge, Geneva-Eaux-Vives, and Annemasse. This RE line has two different services with trains going to rather Vevey or St-Maurice (past Lausanne). Because of this, the line runs half-hourly for most of the day. By around 8 pm, trains stop going to Annemasse and instead terminate at rather Geneva or Geneva Airport, and at the other end, trains typically terminate at Lausanne. In total, there are about 68 services that run on the line. This goes up to 85-95 total services if we include depot services. The RegioExpress service provides a very versatile experience for drivers on this route with a good mix of frequent stopping and 100mph running, similar to the RegioExpress services seen on Luzern-Sursee. These are also some of the longest services you will see on this route at around 1hr 11 mins. RE services have some of the most interesting operations on the line in my opinion, making for a really interesting experience and bringing lots of variety to this route. InterRegio/Intercity We are now at full speed as we talk about the InterRegio and Intercity services seen on this line. These make up the majority of the traffic on the route, providing lots of fast non-stop action between Lausanne and Geneva. Currently, there are two InterRegio and IC lines that run along the corridor. These include the IR15 (Geneva Airport-Luzern), IR90 (Geneva Airport-Brig), IC1 (Geneva Airport-Zurich/St.Gallen (Via Bern)), and IC5 (Geneva Airport/Lausanne-Zurich/Rorschach (Via Biel/Bienne)). The IC5 runs only between Geneva Airport and Morges, where the line then splits off so trains can speed down to Zurich via Biel/Bienne. Everything else runs between Geneva Airport and Lausanne. The IC1 is the fastest service on this line calling only at Geneva Airport, Geneva, and Lausanne. The IR15 makes two additional stops at Nyon and Morges. The IR90 only calls at these additional stops at certain times of the day, making them limited stops. All services run hourly except the IR90 which runs every 30 minutes. This adds up to a total of 89 InterRegio services and 58 IC services. In total (including depot runs) this adds up to 170-190 services for both IR and IC services. There will be lots to do running at high speeds on this route as these make up a huge part of the traffic seen on this route. This makes railfanning along the line really enjoyable as many trains just fly through at full speed. These will provide some enjoyable 30-45 minute runs between Lausanne and Geneva Airport if the RER Vaud and Leman Express are not your cups of tea. Eurocity/International Services You thought that was it? Nope. Since Geneva is in the westernmost part of Switzerland, there is a handful of international trains that run along the Lausanne-Geneva Railway. The two main types of international trains that run through this area serve France and Italy. Services to France are of course done by the well-known TGV, but more specifically the TGV Lyria. It is a series of services that are done in partnership with SBB and SNCF. On this line, the TGV is seen doing services such as Lausanne to Paris, and Geneva to Paris or Marseille. There is also a fair share of TGV services within Lausanne as trains also go to Paris via Dijon which takes a route north of Geneva. Although these would not be playable, they will still provide a decent amount of TGV traffic in both Lausanne and Geneva. Unsurprisingly, trains that run between Geneva and Lausanne run non-stop. None go to Geneva Airport. Depending on the time of year, there can be as little as a single roundtrip to Paris from Lausanne via Geneva, to up to 3 roundtrips. This would likely add up to around 10-15 TGV services if we include depot runs. Meanwhile, trains to Italy are served by the European-unified operator Eurocity. The main services traveling out of Geneva travel to Venice, Milan, and Domodossola. Just like the TGV, they run non-stop between Geneva and Lausanne. However, some trains occasionally travel to Geneva Airport. In addition, the number of roundtrips can vary based on the time of year. Typically around 2-4 roundtrips. I would predict around 8-10 total services for Eurocity if we also include depot moves. Although these trains are not common on the line, these services add nice variety and make them relatively rare sights to see on the line. I was lucky enough to see both of these types of services while I was railfanning at Etoy station on the S5/S6 line. It was definitely exciting seeing both of these types of services and would be really cool to see them on this route, even if it is not on the initial release. Freight/Switching Services Freight is unfortunately not seen on this line. However, there are a lot of freight trains that travel through Lausanne as there is a major yard not far from the main station. As a matter of fact, players will be able to see this yard as players are racing into the outskirts of the city. Although mainline freight would not be seen on this line, there is a possibility for some switching moves in the major yard for the many freight trains that use. I have no clue how many services this would add, so I will not even bother trying to make a guess. However, if we do get proper freight rolling stock seen in Switzerland, then these would make as great AI traffic in Lausanne. Rolling Stock RER Vaud Stadler FLIRT RABe 523 Let’s start off with the train we all know and love from Rivet’s Luzern-Sursee route. These trains will be in SBB RER Vaud livery, which is similar to the current SBB livery, but it has a green RER Vaud logo near the front. Most also do not have an SBB logo on the front. These are four-car electric multiple units seen all across Switzerland, and RER Vaud is another one of the 523’s largest carriers. FLIRT stands for Fast, Light Intercity, and Regional Train, giving it its catchy nickname. These units entered service in 2004 and have been a workhorse for Switzerland’s S-Bahn and regional rail systems. These units would only have to gain minor modifications to make them fit the RER Vaud version, but there are not a lot of things that need to be changed. Stadler FLIRT 3 RABe 523 We now move on to the FLIRT’s newer variant, the FLIRT III. These units have a much newer design and serve similar purposes as its predecessor. These units also serve as four-car electric multiple units and have also become a huge success in Switzerland. Adding these units to the route would allow for a nice mix between old and new multiple units running along the S5 and S6 lines as these units do run with each other to this day. These would make great additions to the route as they have become highly requested in the TSW community. Leman Express Stadler FLIRT RABe 522 First up, we have another variant of the FLIRT, the RABe 522. These units were built exclusively for the Leman Express so that they would be capable of running in Swiss and French territories. This will allow players to run on 15kv and 25kv AC electrification, along with Swiss and French signaling, unlike the other trains on this route. Leman Express operates 14 of these units on its system. These units use a somewhat similar livery to the SBB livery but with the stylish blue Leman Express logo on the sides of the train. This livery gives the route some additional colors other than red. These units likely have different interiors and slightly different exteriors to the 523, so adding this unit into the game would require a lot more work than simply just repainting it, but would make a great addition nonetheless. Alstom Regiolis These are also four-car electric multiple units built by Alstom, beginning production in France around 2013. These units are heavily seen in France for broad use in commuter, regional, and intercity services throughout the country. Just like the 522, they are capable of running on trackage in Switzerland and France, making them bi-mode trains. These units are definitely a lot more common on the route than the 522, so Rivet would be much better off making these units for the Leman Express instead. They are stylish and interesting trains, so I would love to see these units get added to this route. RegioExpress Stadler KISS RABe 511 We now move on to the RegioExpress. These services are done exclusively by the RABe 511, more famously known as the Stadler KISS. These are the multi-level versions of the Stadler FLIRT. KISS is German for “Comfortable, Innovative, Sprint-capable, S-Bahn train.” These units began service on the Swiss Railways in 2011. On this route, they are configured in rather 4 or 6-car units. They were originally made for the Zurich S-Bahn but eventually became used on various RegioExpress and InterRegio services. They are capable of running on 15 kV and 25 kV AC electrification allowing them to run down to Annemasse. These units are also very stylish-looking with their cab that is similar to the original FLIRT, but now as a multilevel train. These units are absolutely needed if for the longer services they provide on this route, and provide some of the most interesting gameplay. InterRegio/Intercity RABDe 502 Also known as the TWINDEXX-Express, the RABDe 502 is an eight-car electric multiple unit built by Bombardier. They were built in 2013 but didn’t fully enter service until around 2018 due to various problems during their rollout. 23 of these units were built for SBB and are used for most InterRegio and IC services. These units have a very stylish appearance with their sleek and bright red front. I rode on quite a few of these units and see them relatively often even though there are very few of them. There are not a lot of intercity multiple units out there, so these trains would provide some very interesting gameplay for TSW. RE 460 w/ IC EW IV single-level and IC2000/2020 multilevel coaches We now move on to a fan favorite within Switzerland: the RE 460. Some may remember this locomotive from Train Simulator’s Gotthardbahn route. Also known as the Lok 2000, these locomotives were introduced on the Swiss Railways in the early 90s for the Rail 2000 project which looked to improve the quality of Swiss rail in various ways. These locomotives can be seen everywhere in the country. They run on the majority of InterRegio and Intercity routes within Switzerland, making them an absolute workhorse for the country. They are very powerful locomotives with over 8,000 horsepower and are capable of reaching speeds of 125mph. They can pull really well and get up to speed really quickly even though they are locomotives. These units have such a distinct look, with their bulky yet simple appearance. They are absolute musts for TSW as they are the staple of the Swiss railways and are one of the most recognizable locomotives in the country. So now, what do they pull? In Rivet’s Gotthardbahn route, they added the Intercity EW IV coaches. These are the famous single-level coaches that heavily resemble the IC coaches being pulled by the DB BR 101. They entered service in the mid-90s shortly before the Rail 2000 project. It also comes with a cab car that has a similar front to the RE 460 to give the train a more streamlined appearance. Then came 1997 when the IC 2000 coaches were made. These are essentially multilevel versions of the EW IV coaches. In 2020, most of the coaches are undergoing refurbishment so that they can run for another 20-30 years. These refurbishments gave minor improvements and a fresh coach of paint for the coaches. Both of these types of coaches are very common sights all throughout Switzerland. They have run with each other for many years giving lots of variety on the railways. Having both of these coaches in TSW with the RE460 would be great, but if I was to choose between one of the two, I would go with the newer IC 2000 coaches as they are slightly more common than the single-level coaches. However, since Rivet has made the EW IV coaches for TSC, I would be all in for them making the single-level coaches instead since it would be easier to make. RABDe 500 Last but not least, we have what I think is the best train in Switzerland. The RABDe 500. Also known as the ICN, these are seven-car electric multiple units built by Bombardier and Alstom in 1999. Because of Switzerland’s challenging geography, track speeds are a lot lower than what you would see in other European nations, so having a tilting train running on the Swiss railways was crucial, being capable of running at speeds of up to 125mph. These trains run exclusively on the IC5 and IC51 routes. 44 of these units are currently in service. Being able to see another tilting train in TSW would be great, and I think the RABDe 500 would be a great addition to the tilting-train family. However, I don’t think this train should come with the route since there are other portions of the IC5 line where trains can really utilize their tilting mechanisms. (I will be making a future route suggestion on a route I think the 500 would work best) However, if it did get added, I would be all in for it. These units have such a distinct look and are great-sounding trains. Interestingly enough, they sound very similar to the DB BR 101. I got to ride on this train a couple of times while I was in Switzerland, and it was definitely a thrill ride, to say the least riding down the many windy curves that the Swiss railways have. Eurocity/International Services TGV Euroduplex We now move on to international services. First and foremost, we have the TGV Euroduplex. These are newer variants of the TGV Duplex that we currently have in TSW on Marseille-Avignon. These trains were built in 2011. It contains various cosmetic improvements over its predecessor such as an improved interior, larger windows, improved loading gauge, improved accessibility, and more. Unfortunately, this isn’t just a simple reskin of the TGV Duplex. Most importantly, this train was built with the thought of it traveling to other countries. It is able to drive under various electrification systems and support various signal types. All of these factors would significantly change the physical handling of the train over the TGV Duplex. These units would have to be built from the ground up as reskinning the TGV Duplex would not be correct at all. However, if these were added in the future, they would make for great layers on this route and for some other European routes as the Euroduplex runs into various other countries including Germany. ETR 610 (RABDe 503) Last but not least, we have the famous ETR 610/RABDe 503 used for international services to and from Italy. These seven-car electric multiple units entered service in 2008 and have become very popular throughout Europe. Many may know this train from SimRail 2021 in its Polish variant. Just like the RABDe 500, these units are also tilting trains. They are in two liveries. Some are in the traditional SBB livery, while the rest are in Trenitalia livery. Seeing these units in TSW would be great as they are also very iconic Pendolino trains. I got to see quite a few of these trains while I was in Switzerland, and they are stunning-looking trains, to say the least. Although I don’t see these trains being added either, they would make for great layers on this route and many others. Conclusion So there you have it, a short, but sweet Swiss route that opens up many possibilities for Swiss content in TSW. I think this would be a great route for Rivet or Dovetail Games to do in the future as it is a busy and action-packed rail corridor that commutes hundreds of thousands of people every day. I could see around 500-600 total services on this route, providing lots to do. This route holds a very special place in my heart as it was the first line I got to ride in Switzerland, but was also my last. I really hope to see this route be added to the game in the near future as it would provide something for nearly anybody from commuter trains done by the Leman Express and RER Vaud, to fast intercity and international trains. Adding many of these new trains would also be able to be layered and used onto many future Swiss routes including Luzern-Sursee, and I think this would be a great route in TSW. Feel free to check out my trainspotting video below to see this line in action at Etoy station!
Bring it on to the game pretty much the entire Rolling Stock of CFF Lac Léman layer onto CFF Luzern Sursee Olten route. There is actually a big freight yard in Lausanne Denges and freight trains are CFF RE484 RE474 Vectron Aem940 SNCF BB37000 Lausanne Denges doesn't play like Cumberland Maryland Sand Patch Flat switching instead you have to treat it like Barstow on Cajon Pass which is Hump Switching. Video of CFF Triage Lausanne Denges To Hauptstrecke München Augsburg SBB Rabe 503 Eurocity Zürich Hb München Hbf playable between München Pasing München Hbf TGV Euroduplex playable on the whole Route basically the Paris Gare L'est Strasbourg Ville Augsburg Hbf München Hbf service. Remember the wider DC pantograph is used to feed German 15kv 16.7hz AC wire Swiss 15kv 16.7hz AC same pantograph as in France 25kv AC if one has this route and HMA owned.
