Genève-Cornavin train station

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Gare de Cornavin
Main entrance to Geneva's main train station, Cornavin
Main entrance to Geneva's main train station, Cornavin
Data
Location in the network Separation station , border station
Platform tracks 8th
abbreviation GE
IBNR 8501008
opening 1858, current construction: 1931
Architectural data
Architectural style Neoclassicism
architect Julien Flegenheimer (1931)
location
City / municipality Geneva
Canton Geneva
Country Switzerland
Coordinates 499 951  /  118445 coordinates: 46 ° 12 '36 "  N , 6 ° 8' 32"  O ; CH1903:  four hundred ninety-nine thousand nine hundred fifty-one  /  118445
Height ( SO ) 392  m
Railway lines
List of train stations in Switzerland
i16

The Genève-Cornavin station (French also just Gare de Cornavin ) is the main train station of the city of Geneva . With around 65,000 travelers daily, it is the ninth-largest train station in Switzerland . The SBB designate the station in writing as Genève , the SNCF as Genève-Cornavin . On the blue station signs on the platform roofs, etc. SBB notation is Genève .

The station is located on the borders of the Geneva quarters of Saint-Gervais , Les Grottes and Les Pâquis . The square of the same name in front of the train station, La Place de Cornavin , is an important hub for the Transports publics genevois , the municipal transport company. In addition to the buses , trams also stop here . There is a public parking garage under the square.

history

The choice of location for the station was made in the second half of the 19th century, when the Geneva – Lyon line was being planned . After looking at several locations, the decision was made to move the train station to what was then the outskirts of the city in order to protect the residents from the noise and exhaust fumes and so that the city is not cut in two.

Cornavin station after the fire
Track side from the south, on the left a direct current local railcar of the SBB Bem 550 series , 2009

As part of a three-day celebration, the line and the station are opened between March 16 and 18, 1858. During the period when the station was still in the hands of PLM , the station was expanded twice, in 1873 and 1893. In a fire on February 11, 1909, the station burned down to its stone foundation walls. A short time later, in 1912, the Swiss Federal Railways took over the station. On December 22, 1925, this electrified the Lausanne – Geneva railway line .

After the decision was made on April 28, 1919 during the Paris Peace Conference to move the seat of the League of Nations to Geneva, numerous works began throughout the city of Geneva. In this context, the Cornavin train station was built according to plans by the architect Julien Flegenheimer with sculptures by Jakob Probst in the gable. The main hall was opened in 1929, the rest of the work was completed in 1931.

On September 27, 1956, electrical operation began on the route leading to France between Culoz and the station. Instead of the Swiss standard, the line was electrified with the French standard of 1500 V DC voltage, which made the SBB line between Geneva and La Plaine a specialty. A new series of vehicles was procured especially for this in 1956, the two BDe 4/4 II , which were adapted to the French voltage. In 1995 this vehicle series was replaced by five Bem 550s . The vehicles were used for regional traffic, long-distance traffic on this route is handled by the Société nationale des chemins de fer français . Since 1956 the station has had two different overhead line voltages and is therefore a system change station. The overhead line can be switched between the two systems over part of the station tracks. The majority of the tracks can only be fed in with one type of voltage, which is why the Ee 3/3 IV , which can run under both systems, are used for shunting services . After lengthy preparations, the previous DC voltage range was converted to operation with 25 kilovolt 50 Hertz AC voltage between July 15 and August 24, 2014.

On 18 February 1987 Come from La Plaine bounced BDe-4/4 II - commuter train in a buffer , while 16 people were injured.

As part of the SBB RailCity concept, the station was converted into an “attractive and modern service center”. For this purpose, the west wing of the station was renovated in 2004, the rest of the building was modernized between 2010 and 2014. The historical exterior facade was retained. Since the renovation, the station has housed over 40 shops, bars and restaurants as well as a police station.

The first stage of the Léman Express started in June 2018 . On December 15, 2019, this S-Bahn network went into full operation with the opening of the new CEVA line .

future

So that the Léman Express service can be expanded further after 2020, the various sub-projects of Léman 2030 between Lausanne and Geneva must first be implemented, including the planned two-lane underground station under the Cornavin station.

Operational

A maintenance location has also emerged in Geneva as the terminus of two lines. The depot was built from the beginning for both railway companies, LG (later PLM, SNCF) and GV (later LFB, OS, JS, SBB). However, the tracks were clearly assigned to a company, i.e. two depots under one roof. The depot is located in the direction of Lausanne on the western side (facing away from the lake) of the line, with the SNCF siding in between. At the SBB, during the time of District I, the depot workshop was officially always subordinate to the Lausanne depot (there was no [track] locomotive allocation at the Geneva depot, exceptions were the direct current multiple units), but it was run relatively independently. The train staff and the locomotive drivers of the SBB were always managed independently. While the SNCF have largely withdrawn (the withdrawal began with the electrification of their route) and they only have one staff location in Geneva, it became the most important maintenance center for the InterCity tilting trains for SBB and is now part of the Passenger Transport division.

Train traffic

Special

When announcing the SBB train staff and marking the SBB trains that i. d. Usually continue to the airport, the train station is not explicitly listed. It should be noted, however, that it is a double interpretation; the trains go to Geneva (Cornavin / Central Station) first, and only then to the airport. Whether the announcements and inscriptions "[...] Genève Aéroport" now as "the train goes via [...] via Geneva to the airport" or rather as "the train goes via [...] to Geneva airport (the stop at Geneva main station is also covered) ”is to be interpreted is left to the passenger himself.

Important data

  • March 18, 1858; Opening of the double-track Seyssel – La Plaine – Genève line by the Lyon Genève LG railway company (from January 1, 1862 PLM, from January 1, 1938 SNCF)
  • June 25, 1858; Opening of the Genève – Versoix line by the Genève – Versoix GV railway company (from August 1, 1858 LFB, from January 1, 1872 SO, from June 28, 1881 SOS, from January 1, 1890 JS, from May 1, 1902 SBB )
  • 1868; Double-lane expansion of the Genève – Gland line
  • February 11, 1909; Full fire in the station building
  • December 22, 1925; Electrification of the SBB Renens – Genève line with 15,000 V, 16 2/3 Hz
  • September 27, 1956; Electrification of the Culoz – Genève SNCF line with 1500 volts direct current
  • September 27, 1984; Commissioning of tracks 7 and 8 with a new platform for trains to and from France
  • May 18, 1986; New track, including the Saut-de-Mouton tunnel (1734 meters), put into operation between Geneva and the La Châtelaine junction for trains to and from France. Start of the conversion of the existing route to alternating current as part of the airport connection.
  • May 31, 1987; Opening of the double-lane SBB line Genève junction La Châtelaine – Genève Aéroport (15,000 V, 16 2/3 Hz)
  • July / August 2014; Conversion of the RFF / SBB line Bellegarde – Genève to 25,000 V, 50 Hz

Web links

Commons : Genève-Cornavin train station  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ SBB in facts and figures 2013. (PDF) (No longer available online.) SBB CFF FFS, Bern, 2014, p. 14 , archived from the original on April 19, 2014 ; Retrieved July 20, 2014 .
  2. ^ Accident CFF: les hypothèses. (No longer available online.) Journal de Genève, Genève, February 19, 1987, p. 5 , archived from the original on December 2, 2013 ; Retrieved November 16, 2013 (French, Le Temps - archives historiques).
  3. ^ SBB: Geneva Cornavin - underground station
  4. ↑ SBB: Léman 2030
  5. ^ Swiss Confederation: Underground extension of the Geneva-Cornavin train station - framework agreement signed