Bernese Jura Railway

The Bernese Jura Railway (Chemins de fer du Jura bernois, abbreviated Jura bernois, JB) was a railway company in Switzerland. The company was called the Jura–Bern–Luzern (Jura–Bern–Lucerne, JBL) from 1 July 1884. The Jura–Bern–Lucerne merged with the Western Switzerland–Simplon Railways (Suisse-Occidentale–Simplon, SOS) to form the Jura–Simplon Railway (Jura-Simplon-Bahn), JS) on 1 January 1890.

Jura–Bern–Lucerne in 1889
History
Opened1874
Closed1890
Route map

km
123.00
Basel Central-
bahnhof[note 1]
France
Switzerland
Delle, France
124.45
France
Switzerland
Col des Roches
Le Locle
La Chaux-de-Fonds
77.63
84.61
Delémont
73.40
Moutier
Les Loges 3259 m
74.24
Le Creux
Convers
48.28
Sonceboz
Chambrelien
La Neuveville
Neuchâtel
33.59
Biel/Bienne
Fräschels
Bödelibahn (BB): Därligen
23.37
Lyss
Bönigen
7.46
Zollikofen
(0.00)
Brünigbahn: Brienz
57.77
7.69
Gümligen
Meiringen
45.47
37.47
Langnau
Alpnachstad
13.18
91.83
Fluhmühle[note 2]
Lucerne
0.13
Intermediate stations and connecting tracks not shown.

Light red: Neuchâtel–Le Locle line, which was transferred to JN in 1886 and
Le Creux–Convers (closed 1888)

Dotted: routes jointly owned by the SCB
Giswil station about 1890. The rack section of the Brünig Railway starts in Giswil

History

Convers in 1874 with the Bernese Jura line under construction.
Newspaper advertisement for the opening of the PorrentruyGlovelier section on 30 March 1877. The Jura–Bern–Luzern name was officially adopted in 1884.

The railway network of the Canton of Bern initially developed according to the interests of the Swiss Central Railway (Schweizerische Centralbahn, SCB). The Grand Council of Bern, decided to conclude a contract with the SCB in 1852. The Central Railway undertook to build the Murgenthal–Bern line and the Solothurn–Herzogenbuchsee railway within four years and in return received tax exemption and the privilege of being given preferential treatment in future grants of concessions to build railways. The Central Railway’s construction now concentrated for a period on the more populated areas in the Swiss Plateau. The rugged and economically less developed Jura had a much more limited railway network. The Central Railway had no interest in competing with its existing Hauenstein Railway.

Under the chairmanship of Xavier Stockmar, the Zentralkomitee für die jurassische Eisenbahn (Central Committee for the Jura Railways) planned a railway line from Biel/Bienne to Basel with a branch from Delémont to Porrentruy. Although the concession was granted, it was not built due to lack of funds. To connect the Bernese Jura to the old part of the canton, the Grand Council provided a subsidy of CHF 6,950,000 of the estimated construction cost of CHF 40 million in 1867. The Delémont–Delle railway, which was financed by French companies, was built and handed over for operations on 23 September 1872.

Capital procurement, construction and transfer of track

Route through the Taubenloch gorge between Biel and Reuchenette-Péry.
Goods locomotive No. 110 Doubs in Moutier station

A new situation arose in 1871, with the cession of Alsace-Lorraine to Germany after the Franco-Prussian War. A line built across French territory and through the Bernese Jura would connect the Paris–Belfort line directly to the Swiss Plateau. The Jura bernois was founded in 1874 as a joint-stock company, with the French Chemins de fer de l'Est subscribing CHF 4½ million and the canton of Basel-Stadt subscribing CHF 0.5 million. The municipalities and Bürgergemeinden of the Jura purchased a total of over 7 million shares, partially exploiting their forests to fund them.

The Jura bernois began construction and opened individual sections of its network between Biel, Convers (near La Chaux-de-Fonds), Delle and Basel between 1872 and 30 March 1877. It complemented its network through acquisitions. The JB bought the bankrupt Jura industriel (JI) for CHF 3.6 million on 1 May 1875 and the Chemin de fer Porrentruy–Delle (PD) for CHF 1.99 million on 16 August 1876. It took over the Bernese State Railway (Bernische Staatsbahn, BSB), including the Zollikofen–Biel –La Neuveville line in 1877. The canton of Bern received JB shares worth CHF 11.56 million in return.

The JB was built during the railway construction boom after 1872 and interest rates and construction prices rose sharply. The recession of 1876 and the subsequent "railway crisis" almost bankrupted even the financially solid Swiss Northeastern Railway (Schweizerische Nordostbahn, NOB). Against this background, the consistent profits of the JB were unusual. The revenue from freight was higher than the revenue from passengers in each year from 1878.

Jura–Bern–Lucerne


The positive operating results allowed the Jura–Bern–Luzern, to pay a dividend every year.
On the other hand, the NOB like other railway companies, suffered a drop in profits during the "railway crisis".
Train of the Brünigbahn with locomotive for mixed adhesion and rack operation
Brienz in about 1888. For the onward journey to Interlaken, passengers had to transfer to the ship.

For the start of the operations of the Bern-Lucerne Railway Company (Bern-Luzern-Bahn, BLB) in 1875, the BLB and the Bernese Jura formed a joint operating company called the Jura–Bern–Luzern (Lucerne). This company continued to exist even after the bankruptcy of the BLB and, as of 1 July 1882, the JB leased the line from Bern to Lucerne, which now belonged to the canton of Bern. Thus, the Bernese Jura came into possession of the continuous Delle–Bern–Lucerne line, which connected with the Gotthard Railway. This route competed with the route of the Swiss Central Railway (Centralbahn) via Olten, which lost direct access to the railway from Basel to France after the Franco-Prussian War. The extended route network prompted the railway to change its name to the Jura–Bern–Luzern (JBL).[note 3]

Ten years after its construction, the Canton of Neuchâtel exercised its buyback right and acquired the NeuchâtelLa Chaux-de-FondsLe Locle line on 1 January 1886 for around CHF 5 million,[note 4] so it could lease it to the newly established Jura neuchâtelois (JN). However, the JN could not earn enough to pay its rent, which made support by the public sector necessary.

The Jura–Bern–Luzern built the Brünig Railway from 25 August 1886. With the opening of the first, over 44 km long section from Alpnachstad via the Brünig Pass to Brienz on 14 June 1888, the network of the JBL was significantly extended. The extension from Alpnachstad to Lucerne followed on 1 June 1889. The metre-gauge line with sections of rack connects the two tourist regions of Central Switzerland and the Bernese Highlands. In addition, it was considered to have great military importance.

The Jura–Bern–Luzern also took care of the operation of the Bödelibahn (Bödeli Railway, BB) DärligenInterlakenBönigen opened in 1872.

Merger into the Jura–Simplon Railway

On 1 January 1890, the Jura–Bern–Luzern including the Gümligen–Lucerne line, which was owned by the canton of Bern, and the Western Swiss Railways (Suisse-Occidentale–Simplon, SOS) merged to form the Jura–Simplon Railways (Chemins de fer du Jura-Simplon, JS). From this point on it was the largest Swiss railway company; it was partly owned by the Swiss Confederation as a result of the purchase of shares on the market. On 1 January 1891, the JS took over the operations of the Pont–Vallorbe Railway (Chemin de fer Pont–Vallorbe, PV). Only the JS had sufficient resources to progress on the construction of the Simplon Tunnel that had been planned for decades.

The bridge over the Birs built by Gustave Eiffel for the Bernese Jura collapsed shortly after the merger. The Münchenstein rail disaster on 14 June 1891 was the largest railway disaster in Switzerland to that time.

Graphical summary

Bwlow is an overview of the history of the Jura bernois and the Jura–Bern–Luzern (O: opening;   T: takeover):

Jura industriel (JI)
O: 2.7.1857   T: 1.5.1875
East–West Railway (OWB)
O: 3.12.1860   T: 1.6.1861
Bernese State Railway (BSB)
T: 24.5.1877
Porrentruy–Delle (PD)
O: 23.9.1872   T: 16.8.1876
Bernese Jura Railway
T: 30.4.1874
Gümligen–Langnau
T: 1.8.1875
Bern-Lucerne Railway (BLB)
T: 15.1.1877
Canton of Bern
T (lease): 1.7.1882
from 1.7.1884
Jura–Bern–Lucerne
T: 1.1.1890
Jura neuchâtelois (JN)Neuchâtel–Le Locle
T: 1.1.1886
Western Switzerland–
Simplon
(SOS)
T: 1.1.1890
Pont–Vallorbe (PV)
O: 31.10.1886
T: 1.1.1891
Jura–Simplon Railways (JS)

Route network

No.RouteSectionOpeningRemarksLength[note 5]
1.Bern–Biel –Sonceboz–Moutier–Delémont–BaselBern–Bern Wylerfeld(15 November 1858)Section of the Olten–Bern railway used jointly with the SCB(7.46 km)
Bern Wylerfeld–Zollikofen(16 June 1857)
Zollikofen–LyssBiel/Bienne(1 June 1864)Lyss–Busswil section taken over from the BSB
on 24 May 1875; 2 tracks since 1877
115.54 km
Biel–SoncebozTavannes30 April 1874
Tavannes–Court16 December 1876
Court–Moutier24 May 1877
Moutier–Delémont16 December 1876Trains reverse in Delémont station
Delsberg–Basel Centralbahnhof[note 1]25 September 1875
2.Sonceboz–La Chaux-de-FondsSonceboz–Le Creux–Convers[note 6]30 April 1874Connection to Neuchâtel–Le Locle-Col-des-Roches railway. Le Creux–Convers operations ended on 17 December 1888 and the line closed on 1 July 189529.55 km
Le Creux–La Chaux-de-Fonds17 December 1888Own access to La Chaux-de-Fonds after separation from the JN on 1 January 1886
3.Delsberg–DelleDelsberg–Glovelier15 October 187639.84 km
Glovelier–Porrentruy 30 March 1877
Porrentruy–border (–Delle)(23 September 1872)Taken over by the PD on 16 August 1876
4.Bern–Lucerne Bern Wylerfeld–Gümligen(1 July 1859)Joint use of this section of the Bern–Thun railway with the SCB(5.38 km)
Gümligen–Langnau(1 June 1864)Originally BLB, bought by the canton of Bern at auction on 15 January 1877 and managed by the JB
leased from the canton of Bern since 1 July 1882
3.27 km
Langnau–Fluhmühle[note 7](11 August 1875)
Fluhmühle–Lucerne(1 June 1859)Joint use of this section of the Olten–Lucerne railway with the SCB(3.27 km)
5.Biel–Neuchâtel (BE-NE canton border)(3 December 1860)Connecting in Lausanne to OS network,
taken over by the BSB on 24 May 1875
14.45 km
6.Neuchâtel–La Chaux-de-Fonds–Le Locle–Col des RochesNeuchâtel–Neuchâtel-Vauseyon(7 November 1859)Joint use of the section of the La Neuveville–Lausanne line with FS(1.37 km)
Neuchâtel-Vauseyon–Les Hauts-Geneveys[note 8](1 December 1859)Taken over by the JI on 1 May 1875,
transferred to the JN on 1 January 1886
(38.21 km)
Les Hauts-Geneveys–Convers(15 July 1860)
Convers–La Chaux-de-Fonds(27 November 1859)
La Chaux-de-Fonds–Le Locle(2 July 1857)
Le Locle–Col des Roches–border(–Besançon)4 August 1884
7.Brünig RailwayLucerne–Alpnachstad1 June 18891,000 mm (3 ft 3 38 in) metre gauge, partly rack
Trains reverse in Meiringen station
57.64 km
Alpnachstad–Brienz14 June 1888
8.Lyss–Fräschels (BE-FR canton border)12 June 1876Connection in Murten to the SO network12.97 km
Total269.49 km[note 9]

Rolling stock

The locomotives from the beginning were designated as class A for express-tank locomotives, B for locomotives of "Bourbonnais" design (referring to the Compagnie du chemin de fer de paris à Lyon par le Bourbonnais, a predecessor company of the PLM, which developed the design) for passenger trains on mountain lines and freight trains on valley routes, C for freight locomotives, D for pilot tender locomotives and E for shunters. The locomotives were designated according to the uniform system used throughout Switzerland from 1887.

The following locomotives were available to the Jura–Bern–Lucerne. The class designation valid from 1902 is listed in brackets.

Class
from 1873
Class
from 1887
JBL no.NameJS no.
from 1890
SBB no.
from 1903[note 10]
ManufacturerBuild yearRemarksScrappedImage
IA2 (Ec 2/4)1–12Property of the Bern-Lucerne Railway (see there)
AA2 (Eb 2/4)13135441SLM1876Biel workshop from 19031917
Passenger locomotive
A2 no. 18
141454421904
15151900
16161900
17175451Esslingen18801911
181854521927
191954531933
202054541925
2121545518811928
222254561925
232354571911 MO 1; sold in 1917
242454581919
252554591883Heating car Xd 99009 from 19271927
262654601919
27275462SLM18881925
28285461Heating car Xd 99011 from 19271927
292954631930
30305464EB 9 from 19261933
313154651919
32325466Heating car Xd 99010 from 19271933
AIB2E (Ec 2/5)41–43Taken over from the Jura industriel in 1875 (see there)Esslingen1856–1858No. 42 was taken over in 1886 by the JN1883–1888

A3T (B 3/4)
41'2051561SLM18891924
42'20615621924
43'20715631924
4420815641929
4520915651924
4621015661924
4721115671924
4821215681932
BB3T (C 3/3)51–54Property of the Bern-Lucerne Railway (see there)
Bourbonnais-hauling
tender locomotive B3T no. 54
55Delémont425SACM18751900
56Laufon4261901
57Dornach4271901
58Bâle4281902
59Moutier429241618761905
60St-Ursanne43024051903
61Porrentruy43124151911
CC3T (D 3/3)101Stockmar5413392SACM1874Originally had operating numbers 1–6.
When the JB took over the operation of BLB in 1875, a new numbering scheme was established and the locomotives were renumbered.
1904
JS no. 542, built in
Mülhausen
102Jura-Bernois54233931904
103St-Imier54333601908
104Bienne54433611907
105Suze545SLM18741901
JB no. 6 of SLM
106Birse54633991913
107Aare5473388SACM18751908
108Thielle54833941907
109Sorne54933951905
110Doubs5501902
111Allaine551336218761917
112Chasseral55233961904
113Montoz55333971906
114Mont-Terrible55433981906
115Rangiers55533631917
CID3E (Ed 3/5)141, 142 and 144Taken over by the Jura industriel in 1875 (see there)Workshop of the SCB1859Taken over by the JN in 18861898–1905
143, 145Esslingen18731912–1914
DC3 (Ed 3/3)151–157Property of the Bern-Lucerne Railway (see there)
EF3 (E 3/3)2018518571SLM18751913
20285285721911
Locomotives of the narrow gauge Brünig Railway:
G3 (G 3/3)301901101SLM18871911
Brünig valley locomotive
no. 309, now at
the BC
3029021021912
30390310318881911
3049041041916 Trento–Malè 104
3059051051916 Trient–Male 105
30690610618891916 IMB 106
1919 Trient–Male 106
HG2 (HG 2/2)3519511001SLM18871908 SV 10
1927 MCL 241
1936
Brünig mountain locomotive
no. 352 for mixed
adhesion and rack
operations
352952100218881908 MCM 2
35395310031908 O&K
35495410041908
35595510051908
356956100618891911
35795710071911
35895810081911
Third-class car C3 466 of the Brünig Railway, built in 1889 by SIG in Neuhausen, now used as a service car of the BC

References

Notes

  1. Now Basel SBB
  2. Junction with the Olten–Lucerne line of the Centralbahn
  3. According to bahndaten.ch the JBL was created by renaming the Jura bernois. The Bern–Lucerne line was not taken over by the JBL, but continued to be leased from the canton of Bern.
  4. Placid Weissenbach puts the purchase price at CHF 5,141,079, while an amount of CHF 5.25 million is mentioned in bahndaten.ch.
  5. Determined by chainage
  6. Trains reverse in Convers station
  7. Now Gütsch
  8. Trains reverse in Chambrelien station
  9. Property length according to official railway statistics quoted in bahndaten.ch
  10. The SBB renumbered the locomotives taken over after the completion of boiler revisions.

Footnotes

    Sources

    • Frey, Thomas; Schiedt, Hans-Ulrich. "Jura bernois". bahndaten.ch. Daten zu den Schweizer Eisenbahnen 1847–1920 (in German). ViaStoria. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
    • Frey, Thomas; Schiedt, Hans-Ulrich. "Jura–Bern–Luzern". bahndaten.ch. Daten zu den Schweizer Eisenbahnen 1847–1920 (in German). ViaStoria. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
    • Frey, Thomas; Schiedt, Hans-Ulrich. "Brünigbahn". bahndaten.ch. Daten zu den Schweizer Eisenbahnen 1847–1920 (in German). ViaStoria. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
    • Junker, Beat. "Der Weg zur Staatskrise von 1877/78". Die Entstehung des demokratischen Volksstaates 1831–1880. Geschichte des Kantons Bern seit 1798 (in German). 2. Historischer Verein des Kantons Bern.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
    • Moser, Alfred (1967). Der Dampfbetrieb der Schweizerischen Eisenbahnen 1847–1966 (in German). Basel und Stuttgart: Birkhäuser Verlag.
    • Wägli, Hans G. (2010). Schienennetz Schweiz und Bahnprofil Schweiz CH+ (in German). Zürich: AS Verlag. ISBN 978-3-909111-74-9.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
    • Weissenbach, Plazid (1913). Das Eisenbahnwesen der Schweiz (PDF 14.8 MB) (in German). 1: Geschichte des Eisenbahnwesens. p. 66. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
    • "Die Bern-Luzern-Bahn" (PDF 1.8 MB). Die Eisenbahn = Le chemin de fer (in German). 6 (3): 21–22. 1877. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
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