United Bern – Worb Railways
The United Bern-Worb-Bahnen (abbreviation VBW ) was a railway company in the canton of Bern . They were created in 1927 through the merger of the Bern-Worb-Bahn (BMGWB, from 1907 BWB) with the Worblentalbahn (WT) and existed until 1983, when the company with the Solothurn-Zollikofen-Bern-Bahn (SZB) for regional transport Bern-Solothurn ( RBS) merged.
history
The United Bern-Worb-Bahnen operated the two meter-gauge lines that were built by their predecessor companies and both connect Worb with Bern . The municipality of Worb had had a train station since June 1, 1864 when the Gümligen – Langnau section of the Bern – Lucerne railway was opened. The Worb SBB train station is 1.6 kilometers away, but well outside the center of the village.
The Bern-Worb Dorf railway line , built by the Bern-Worb-Bahn, is a typical overland tram that largely followed the road. It runs from Worb Dorf via Gümligen to Bern Helvetiaplatz and was opened on October 21, 1898. This route largely corresponds to the original route, even if the former line G is now integrated into the Bern tram network as tram line number 6 . Today it leads to the Fischermätteli via Bern train station. The entire route, also between Bern Helvetiaplatz and Thunplatz, belonged to the Bern-Worb-Bahn or the United Bern-Worb-Bahnen, whereby the Berner Tramway-Gesellschaft or Städtische Strassenbahnen Bern was already guaranteed shared use in the license of the BMGWB . However, there was no contract since 1917 or 1926. This only ended in 1975 when the route between Bern Egghölzli and Bern Kirchenfeld was sold to the municipal transport company in Bern (opening of the tram line to Saali). Since then, only the Bern Egghölzli – Worb Dorf line has belonged to the VBW. The route was originally used by steam trams. On July 21, 1910, electrical operation was started with 800 volts DC, with only 600 volts being used in the urban area. This voltage was adjusted to the SVB on December 27, 1987 and the entire route of Line G was operated with 600 volts DC.
The route built by the Worblentalbahn corresponded more to an electric narrow-gauge railway with its own route than an overland tram in the Worblental . She only followed the road between Ittigen and Bern Kornhaus. It follows the Worblental, originally ran from Worb Dorf via Ittigen to Bern Kornhausplatz, but the route in the urban area belonged to the Bern municipal tram. There was a connecting line between Ittigen and Worblaufen from the start, but passenger traffic on it was stopped in 1923. In Worblaufen there is a connection to the Bern-Zollikofen-Bahn (and via this to the Zollikofen SBB station). This connecting route was extensively rebuilt from 1967 and separated from the road. The line between Ittigen and Bern Kornhausplatz was discontinued in 1974 and the trains were led through the Worblental via Worblaufen to the new underground station section of the SZB at Bern station. On the changeover date, the route was also adapted from the original 800 volts to that of the SZB with 1250 volts DC voltage.
In 1974 an operating agreement was signed with SZB. The SZB director Dr. Josef Fahm had also been director of VBW since 1965. This promoted the cooperation between the two companies. A common wage scheme was introduced in 1971, and in 1972 a corresponding work and wage scheme came into force. As a result, the operating agreement followed that the SZB administration would also manage the business of VBW. The fact that the merger did not take place at that time was mainly due to the canton of Solothurn . With the operating contract, it remained for ten years as a joint venture between two basically independent companies. The problematic points that triggered this resistance on the part of the Canton of Solothurn were defused over the next ten years. The federal government also played an important role here, and increasingly insisted on a merger for its financial support. The merger was resolved at an extraordinary shareholders' meeting on November 29, 1984, with retroactive effect from January 1, 1984. At the same time, the resolution of the United Bern-Worb-Bahnen was resolved.
Financial
In the first few years the company developed well, but from 1932 onwards the economic crisis made itself felt. However, the right measures could be taken and the financial situation, albeit tense, remained positive and the annual accounts were always closed with a plus. This only changed in the 1950s when a negative annual financial statement was reported for the first time in 1958 at -16,250.27. 1959 and 1960 were just in the black. But from 1961 only negative annual financial statements were to be reported.
The bill also remained negative at RBS until the rules were changed with the new Railway Act. Subsequent deficit coverage has not been granted since 1996; instead, services ordered by the public sector are remunerated in accordance with the offer made by the railway. The negotiated compensation for the RBS rose from almost five to almost 23 million Swiss francs.
Rolling stock
General
VBW took over a total of 13 locomotives, 21 passenger cars, six freight cars, two company cars and 18 roller bogies from its predecessor railways .
The tight financial situation meant that many vehicles were converted or that used vehicles were procured.
Brand new locomotives
The CFe 4/4 number 41 was put into operation as the first own motor vehicle at Easter 1930. It is a replica of the WT-CFe 101–103 (VBW numbers 36–38). It was also the first vehicle to be painted blue and white.
The two Ce 4/4 41 (second occupation of number 41) and 42 (RBS numbers 72-73) could be put into operation in 1948.
Of the 21 Be 4/8 that came into operation from 1974, the numbers 41–47 and 60–61 belonged to the VBW.
The nine tram cars for line G, the Be 4/8 81-89, were delivered in 1987-88.
literature
- Jürg Aeschlimann: Regional Transport Bern – Solothurn. Part 1: lines G and W . Prellbock Druck & Verlag, Leissigen 1998, ISBN 3-907579-07-0 .
- Claude Jeanmaire, René Stamm: The overland railways from Bern to Worb. History and rolling stock of two Bernese suburban railways. Publishing house for railway and streetcar literature, Basel 1971, ISBN 3-85649-011-5 .