Transports publics Fribourgeois
Encyclopedia
The Transports Publics Fribourgeois is a renaming of the former Chemins de fer Fribourgeois Gruyère-Fribourg-Morat
when the municipal Transport en commun de Fribourg (TF) was absorbed in 2000.
(formerly Cailler) chocolate factory. The company also operates two standard-gauge lines, between Bulle and Romont and Fribourg - Ins via Murten/Morat. Trains on the latter route have been extended and now operate a regular interval service Fribourg - Murten - Ins - Neuchatel, taking them on to BLS tracks (Ins - Neuchatel).
The Palézieux - Montbovon line was opened throughout in 1904. The Chemin de fer Châtel-St-Denis-Palézieux
(CP) and the Chemin de fer Châtel-St-Denis-Bulle-Montbovon
(CBM) amalgamated in 1907 to form the Chemins de fer électriques de la Gruyère
(CEG), adding the Bulle - Broc branch line in 1912. The two standard gauge operations joined in a further amalgamation on 1 January 1942 when together they formed the Chemins de fer Fribourgeois, Gruyère-Fribourg-Morat (GFM).
The lamentable closure of a connecting line took place in 1969 when the section of the Chemins de Fer Veveysans from Chatel St Denis to Vevey on Lake Geneva was closed. If it had survived, it would nowadays almost certainly have become a useful tourist route from the lake to the chocolate factory (and would link Nestlé's HQ at Vevey with one of its main factories). One contributing factor was the political and human geography of Switzerland (Vevey is in Canton Vaud but Chatel St Denis is in Canton Fribourg). Evidence of the existence of this line still exists at Chatel St Denis, where Bulle - Palézieux trains have to reverse (Bulle - Vevey was the 'direct' straight line route).
TPF Operations are centered on Bulle which has a depot, workshops and offers a connection to the standard gauge line to Romont as well as express bus services to the capital. The transfer to the MOB
takes place in Montbovon.
Today, on both systems, passenger traffic is carried out by electric units, single driving cars, coupled at busy times to trailers. Standard gauge goods traffic can transfer to the metre gauge where the wagons are transported on carrier trucks. The company still has few metre gauge wagons, all now connected with railway engineering.
Metre Gauge Locomotives and Rolling Stock.
1Gruyère is the name of the Region while Gruyères stands for the small town, situated between Bulle and Montbovon
Standard Gauge Locomotives and Rolling Stock.
Abbreviations (see also above listing)
New Deliveries
Five existing motor coaches 171-173, 181-182 plus one identical vehicle RBDe 567 316 on long-term lease from TRN SA were recently modernized, incorporating new seating, air condition, information displays and video recording. The same modernization occurred with matching driving trailers 371, 373, 381, 382 and 383 ex TRN SA plus one, ABt 204, on long-term lease from TRN SA. Also the two matching coaches 364-365 were treated accordingly. First class compartment is now in the driving trailer and no longer in the motor coach, which had before been classified RABDe 537.
Three new intermediate coaches, all second class, have been delivered from Stadler and incorporate a low level centre section suitable for pram / buggy and disabled access. These cars have large windows and other facilities as featured throughout the train.
From that date the handling of the first two freight routes was taken over by SBB Cargo, the third by MOB. Thus, the company's two GDe 4/4 locomotives, together with the hopper cars, became surplus to requirements and were sold to the MOB in April 2007. TPF is paid by SBB Cargo for conveying the standard gauge wagons on transporter trucks to/from Bulle and Montbovon by accordingly fitted motor coaches 121-124.
Chemins de fer Fribourgeois Gruyère-Fribourg-Morat
The Chemin de Fer Fribourgeois, Gruyère - Fribourg - Morat is a 1942 merger of two standard gauge and one gauge railways running mainly within the Swiss canton of Fribourg/Freiburg. The company also operates numerous regional buses in the same area...
when the municipal Transport en commun de Fribourg (TF) was absorbed in 2000.
The Railways
The company is a railway operator with both narrow and standard gauge lines centred in the town of Bulle. The main line of the narrow gauge network runs from Palézieux railway station (at Palézieux-Gare), on the SBB main line from Bern to Lausanne, via Châtel-St-Denis and Bulle to Montbovon. The short Bulle - Broc branch, which leaves this line between Bulle and La Tour-de-Trême, serves the nearby NestléNestlé
Nestlé S.A. is the world's largest food and nutrition company. Founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, established in 1867 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé, founded in 1866 by Henri...
(formerly Cailler) chocolate factory. The company also operates two standard-gauge lines, between Bulle and Romont and Fribourg - Ins via Murten/Morat. Trains on the latter route have been extended and now operate a regular interval service Fribourg - Murten - Ins - Neuchatel, taking them on to BLS tracks (Ins - Neuchatel).
The Palézieux - Montbovon line was opened throughout in 1904. The Chemin de fer Châtel-St-Denis-Palézieux
Chemin de fer Châtel-St-Denis-Palézieux
The Chemin de fer Châtel-St-Denis–Palézieux was opened in 1901, a metre gauge railway running between the places in its title — Châtel-St-Denis and Palézieux-Gare...
(CP) and the Chemin de fer Châtel-St-Denis-Bulle-Montbovon
Chemin de fer Châtel-St-Denis-Bulle-Montbovon
The Chemin de fer Châtel-St-Denis-Bulle-Montbovon planned a metre-gauge railway between the towns in its title. The line was constructed and opened in four stages: from Châtel-St-Denis to Vuadens, then to Bulle, then to La Tour-de-Trême and to Montbovon in 1904. At Châtel-St-Denis it formed an...
(CBM) amalgamated in 1907 to form the Chemins de fer électriques de la Gruyère
Chemins de fer électriques de la Gruyère
The Chemins de fer électriques de la Gruyère was the name finally adopted by the Chemin de fer Châtel-St-Denis-Bulle-Montbovon before operation started. . In 1907 it was enlarged by the amalgamation of the Chemin de fer Châtel-St-Denis-Palézieux...
(CEG), adding the Bulle - Broc branch line in 1912. The two standard gauge operations joined in a further amalgamation on 1 January 1942 when together they formed the Chemins de fer Fribourgeois, Gruyère-Fribourg-Morat (GFM).
The lamentable closure of a connecting line took place in 1969 when the section of the Chemins de Fer Veveysans from Chatel St Denis to Vevey on Lake Geneva was closed. If it had survived, it would nowadays almost certainly have become a useful tourist route from the lake to the chocolate factory (and would link Nestlé's HQ at Vevey with one of its main factories). One contributing factor was the political and human geography of Switzerland (Vevey is in Canton Vaud but Chatel St Denis is in Canton Fribourg). Evidence of the existence of this line still exists at Chatel St Denis, where Bulle - Palézieux trains have to reverse (Bulle - Vevey was the 'direct' straight line route).
TPF Operations are centered on Bulle which has a depot, workshops and offers a connection to the standard gauge line to Romont as well as express bus services to the capital. The transfer to the MOB
Montreux-Oberland Bernois
The Montreux-Oberland Bernois railway , is a railway operating in southwest Switzerland, one of the oldest electric railways in the country; its main line, in length, built to gauge, connects Montreux, Gstaad and Zweisimmen where passengers can transfer to a branch of the standard gauge...
takes place in Montbovon.
Today, on both systems, passenger traffic is carried out by electric units, single driving cars, coupled at busy times to trailers. Standard gauge goods traffic can transfer to the metre gauge where the wagons are transported on carrier trucks. The company still has few metre gauge wagons, all now connected with railway engineering.
Locomotives and Rolling Stock
A few vehicles inherited from the former companies and even dating back to pre - First World War days are in use for shunting and departmental use.Metre Gauge Locomotives and Rolling Stock.
| No. | Name | Class | Builders details | Date | Rebuilt | Notes. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Te2/2 | GFM/MFO | 1913 | 1991 | Works No. 33. | |
| 12 | Te2/2 | GFM/AI | 1913 | 1954 | ||
| 13 | Te4/4 | SWS/AI/GFM | 1901 | 1959 | ||
| 14 | Te4/4 | SWS/AI/GFM | 1901 | 1978 | ||
| 15 | Tm2/2 | Schöma/Deutz | 1971 | 1981 | ||
| 16 | Tm2/2 | CFD Industries | 1987 | |||
| 101 | Ville de Bulle | GDe4/4 | SLM/BBC | 1983 | Out of Service from 10.12.06, Sold to MOB, April 2007, No.6005 | |
| 102 | Neirivue | GDe4/4 | SLM/BBC | 1983 | Out of Service from 10.12.06, Sold to MOB, April 2007, No.6006 | |
| 115 | Be4/4 | SWS/Alioth | 1905 | 1959 | Electric Railcar, 46 seats. Used for historic train operations(See:Retro-Train), but also still used for workaday works/engineering duties | |
| 116 | Be4/4 | SWS/Alioth | 1922 | 1951/1999 | Preserved Electric Railcar, 46 seats. (See:Retro-Train) | |
| 121 | Remaufens | BDe4/4 | ACMV/ABB | 1992 | ||
| 122 | La Tour-de-Trême | BDe4/4 | ACMV/ABB | 1992 | ||
| 123 | Broc | BDe4/4 | ACMV/ABB | 1996 | ||
| 124 | Vuadens | BDe4/4 | ACMV/ABB | 1996 | ||
| 131 | Be4/4 | SWS/BBC | 1943 | |||
| 132 | Be4/4 | SWS/BBC | 1943 | Withdrawn | ||
| 141 | Gruyères1 | BDe4/4 | Schindler/SAAS | 1972 | ||
| 142 | Semsales | Bde4/4 | Schindler/SAAS | 1972 | ||
| 151 | La Gruyère1 | Be4/4 | ACMV/BBC | 1977 | ||
| 152 | Châtel St. Denis | Be4/4 | ACMV/BBC | 1977 | ||
| 221 | Bt | ACMV/BBC | 1992 | Voiture Pilote (Driving Trailer) | ||
| 222 | Bt | ACMV/BBC | 1992 | Voiture Pilote (Driving Trailer) | ||
| 223 | Bt | ACMV/BBC | 1992 | Voiture Pilote (Driving Trailer) | ||
| 224 | Bt | Vevey/ABB | 1996 | Voiture Pilote (Driving Trailer) | ||
| 225 | Bt | ACMV/BBC | 1996 | Voiture Pilote (Driving Trailer) | ||
| 226 | Bt | Vevey/ABB | 1996 | Voiture Pilote (Driving Trailer) | ||
| 232 | B2 | GFM | 1919 | Preserved Coach (See:Retro Train) | ||
| 235 | B2 | SWS | 1903 | Preserved Coach (See:Retro Train) | ||
| 237 | B2 | SWS | 1905 | Preserved Coach (See:Retro Train) | ||
| 245 | Brs | SIG/R+J | 1931 | 1991 | Preserved Coach (See:Retro Train), ex-Brünigbahn | |
| 247 | Brs | SIG | 1932 | 1985 | Preserved Coach (See:Retro Train), ex-Brünigbahn | |
| 251 | Bt | SIG/SAAS | 1977 | Voiture Pilote (Driving Trailer) | ||
| 252 | Bt | SIG/SAAS | 1977 | Voiture Pilote (Driving Trailer) | ||
| 253 | Bt | SIG/SWP/BBC | 1981 | Voiture Pilote (Driving Trailer) | ||
| 254 | Bt | SIG/SWP/BBC | 1981 | Voiture Pilote (Driving Trailer) | ||
| 255 | Bt | SIG/SWP/BBC | 1981 | Voiture Pilote (Driving Trailer) | ||
| 256 | Bt | SIG/SWP/BBC | 1981 | Voiture Pilote (Driving Trailer) | ||
| 401 | DZ | SWS | 1912 | Post/Baggage Car | ||
| 402 | DZ | SWS | 1912 | Post/Baggage Car |
1Gruyère is the name of the Region while Gruyères stands for the small town, situated between Bulle and Montbovon
Abbreviations.
- ACMV / Vevey : Ateliers de constructions mécaniques de VeveyAteliers de Constructions Mécaniques de VeveyAteliers de constructions mécaniques de Vevey was an metal engineering company based in Vevey, Switzerland. Founded as Ateliers B.Roy & Cie in 1848 by Benjamin Roy it became Ateliers de constructions mécaniques de Vevey SA in 1895....
/ Vevey Technologies (now Bombardier) - AI : Electrizitätsgesellschaft Alioth, Münchenstein BL
- BBC / ABB : Brown Boveri & Cie / Asea Brown Boveri (later ADtranz, then Bombardier)
- MFO : Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon (later BBC)
- SAAS : Société Anonyme des Ateliers de Sécheron, Geneva.
- SIG : Schweizerische Industriegesellschaft, Neuhausen am Rheinfall (now Alstom)
- SWS : Schweizerische Wagons- und Aufzügefabrik AG, Schlieren ZH (closed)
Standard Gauge Locomotives and Rolling Stock.
| Number | Name | Class | Builders details | Air cond. | Date | Rebuilt | Notes. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 82 | Tm2/2 | RACO/Mercedes | 1964 | 1973 | Aebi Works No.1634 ex Von Roll 22 1973 | ||
| 837 084 | Tm3/3 | Krupp/MAN | 1963 | Works No.4395 ex Shell Ingolstadt 1983 | |||
| 85 | Tm2/2 | Moyse (Paris)/Deutz | 1977 | ||||
| 237 087 | Tm2/2 | Stadler/Adtranz | 2000 | Works No. 532 ex-MThB 236 649 in 2003 | |||
| 217 091 | Ee2/2 | SIG/BBC | 1960 | ||||
| 161 | ABDe4/4 | SIG/BBC | 1946 | 1965 | Seats 1st/2nd:16/32 | ||
| 162 | ABDe4/4 | SIG/BBC | 1946 | 1965 | scrapped | ||
| 163 | ABDe4/4 | SIG/BBC | 1946 | 1965 | scrapped | ||
| 164 | ABDe4/4 | SIG/BBC | 1947 | 1965 | |||
| 166 | ABe4/4 | SIG/BBC | 1947 | ||||
| 167 | ABDe4/4 | SIG/BBC | 1948 | scrapped | |||
| 567 171 | La Sarine | RBDe4/4 | SIG/SWS/BBC | X | 1983 | two cabs, front door | |
| 567 172 | Vully | RBDe4/4 | SIG/SWS/BBC | X | 1983 | two cabs, front door | |
| 567 173 | La Glâne | RBDe4/4 | SIG/SWS/BBC | X | 1983 | two cabs, front door, 1992 ex TRN 104 | |
| 537 176 | RABDe4/4 | SIG/SWA/BBC/MFO/SAAS | 1964 | 2006 ex- Thurbo/MThB 11 , Die Hegau-Bodensee Bahn, named Stadt Wil | |||
| 567 316 | RBDe | SWP/SIG/BBC | X | 1985 | long-term lease from TRN | ||
| 567 181 | RBDe4/4 | SWP/SIG/ABB | X | 1991 | |||
| 567 182 | RBDe4/4 | SWP/SIG/ABB | X | 1991 | |||
| 361 | B | FFA | 1963 | 2000 | |||
| 362 | B | FFA | 1963 | ||||
| 364 | B | SWP/SIG | X | 1984 | |||
| 365 | B | SWP/SIG | X | 1984 | |||
| 366 | B | FFA | 1963 | ex-TMR/MO 41 | |||
| 367 | B | Stadler | X | 2006 | low floor | ||
| 368 | B | Stadler | X | 2006 | low floor | ||
| 369 | B | Stadler | X | 2006 | low floor | ||
| 371 | ABt | SWS/BBC | X | 1983 | front door | ||
| 372 | ABt | SWP/BBC | 1964 | 2003 | ex- Bt originally number 302 | ||
| 373 | ABt | SWP/SIG/BBC | X | 1985 | front door | ||
| 374 | Bt | SWP/BBC | 1964 | 1983 | 1993 ex-TRN 203 | ||
| 375 | Bt | SWP/BBC | 1964 | ex- Thurbo 203 and originally GFM 301 | |||
| 381 | ABt | SWP/SIG/ABB | X | 1991 | |||
| 382 | ABt | SWP/SIG/ABB | X | 1991 | |||
| 204 | ABt | SWP/SIG/BBC | X | 1985 | long term-lease from TRN | ||
| 383 | ABt | SWP/SIG/ABB | X | 1991 | 2006 ex-TRN 206 | ||
Abbreviations (see also above listing)
- Aebi : Robert Aebi
- Asper : Victor Asper Maschinenbau
New Deliveries
Five existing motor coaches 171-173, 181-182 plus one identical vehicle RBDe 567 316 on long-term lease from TRN SA were recently modernized, incorporating new seating, air condition, information displays and video recording. The same modernization occurred with matching driving trailers 371, 373, 381, 382 and 383 ex TRN SA plus one, ABt 204, on long-term lease from TRN SA. Also the two matching coaches 364-365 were treated accordingly. First class compartment is now in the driving trailer and no longer in the motor coach, which had before been classified RABDe 537.
Three new intermediate coaches, all second class, have been delivered from Stadler and incorporate a low level centre section suitable for pram / buggy and disabled access. These cars have large windows and other facilities as featured throughout the train.
Livery
The trains were painted in an uninspiring grey livery with a broad orange band below the windows, marked "La Gruyère", a few vehicles even still had the older green/cream livery. In 2001 the first of the repainted units appeared on the line in a plain white livery with lining and "tpf" lettering in cherry red.Fare Structure
From 12 December 2006 the "tpf" together with SBB-CFF-FFS, BLS, CarPostal Suisse, MOB, STB and VMCV introduced a canton-wide zone fare known as "frimobil", ordered and subsidized by the canton. It was advertised as "offering freedom and mobility throughout the region".Vintage Train
The company operate a "Retro Train" using vintage stock and railcar. Operating at weekends throughout the year it offers travel in a 1926 built coach named Moléjon coupled to a bar-coach named La Grevire (built in 1932), the power being supplied by an electric railcar dating from the early 1920s. Included in the price is a fondue followed by Meringues with local delicacy, Crème de Gruyère.Narrow Gauge Freight Services
Until 10 December 2006 the company operated three main freight routes:- To and from the Cailler chocolate factory at Broc, standard gauge wagons carried "piggy-back" on narrow gauge transporter trucks from and to Bulle. Haulage was performed by the branch electric unit of 121-124 series attaching the "piggy-backs" at Broc Fabrique.
- Timber traffic originating at Montbovon, carried "piggy-back" to Bulle, and, on occasions other traffic to and from other stations.
- Ballast traffic from Grandvillard in narrow gauge hopper cars to Gstaad.
From that date the handling of the first two freight routes was taken over by SBB Cargo, the third by MOB. Thus, the company's two GDe 4/4 locomotives, together with the hopper cars, became surplus to requirements and were sold to the MOB in April 2007. TPF is paid by SBB Cargo for conveying the standard gauge wagons on transporter trucks to/from Bulle and Montbovon by accordingly fitted motor coaches 121-124.
Sources
- Magazine des Transports publics Fribourgeois, No.8, January 2007.
- Grandguillaume Michel, et al., Voies étroites de Veveyse et de Gruyère. BVA, Lausanne, 1984, ISBN 3-88125-003-3