Japan vs. Switzerland

[velotrain]

I saw a RealRailTV show on PBS yesterday about trains in Switzerland.  It was very well done, and is apparently the first in what will be a series.  Early in the show there was a quote that seems questionable:  "The Swiss ride trains more than any other group of people."

 

 

 

 

The full transcript is here:

 

 

 

http://www.smarttravels.tv/RealRailTV/info

 

[kvp]

At least it's comparable to Japan. There are very good urban and suburban networks around most cities and there are regions where you can choose between the train and a dirt road through the mountains. The postbus (intercity bus) network is also large but they act as feeders for the train networks. Some cities combine trams with pedestrian areas, so you either walk, bike or take the tram.

 

Most long distance trains have bike carrier cars and i've seen 12 car local trains 90% full (mostly with locals) with only two cars and a local bus on the parallel highway. The bus was going to the station of the nearest larger town.

 

The big difference is that Japan focuses on high speed rail in the country and fast commuter trains in larger cities, Switzerland keeps rural lines with request stops and provides slower but more dense urban tram networks in the comparatively smaller cities.

[Guest ___]

Source please.

 

While, I'm a rather huge fan of the Swiss rail; system (the fact that it's my second favorite country for trains), I find that claim to be rather grandiose at best.

[velotrain]

Source please.

 

 

 

Given - read the post.

[katoftw]

Comparing apples and oranges?

[velotrain]

Or sushi and chocolate . . . 

[bikkuri bahn]

Comparing apples and oranges?

Yes pretty much. Switzerland is a very small country with a very well developed railway system for its size and population. Japan is much larger in size and especially population.

 

Switzerland has the highest per capita ridership in the world (Japan is second). Japan is first by a very large margin in total numbers carried annually, 2.5 times more than second place India. Also Japan has the highest modal share of all countries wrt to passenger rail.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_usage_statistics_by_country

 

btw Switzerland also is my second favorite place to railfan for the railways ease of use and punctuality. They also run their trains on the *correct* side, the left side:-)

Edited August 30, 2015 by bikkuri bahn

[toc36]

GREAT LINK!!

 

Although I started with Japanese high speed rail, my collection has been migrating to Switzerland.  I have all three Kato Glacier engines and two Kato Allegra's.  The link between the two countries are a Tomix Hakone Tozan Type 3000 Allegra and a Modemo Hakone Tozan Type 2000 Glacier Express.

[westfalen]

Or sushi and chocolate . . . 

Japan makes nice chocolate. Mmmm, Meiji.

 

btw Switzerland also is my second favorite place to railfan for the railways ease of use and punctuality.

I've been on some pretty late running through trains to and from Italy while I was in Switzerland but I suppose we can blame Italy for that.

[Alemino]

i have the problem everyday on my layout 

Japan vs Switzerland 

or better said Shikansen vs IC2000 and Shonan 113 vs RABe 521 Flirt

 

Fun aside

i found only this article about the statistics, who ride more trains, not actual sadly (one year old)

is matter of km vs train rides , where siwss seems ride longer, japanese often..

 

https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=de&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nzz.ch%2Fschweiz%2Fschweizer-sind-weltmeister-im-bahnfahren-1.18361259&edit-text=

 

and i can only acknowledge what written before, we can ride by public transports almost everywhere. If not by train, by bus, by trolley, by boat even ( yes a swiss day ticket can also be used on boats). Soon opening another tunnel below the alps, can't wait to be in it. http://www.gottardo2016.ch/en

So even more people and km on rail possibly

 

On the other hand we don't have a high speed rail system, which is all around so much used...

Edited August 30, 2015 by Alemino

[Melandir]

Japan makes nice chocolate. Mmmm, Meiji.

 

I've been on some pretty late running through trains to and from Italy while I was in Switzerland but I suppose we can blame Italy for that.

 

Are you talking about ETR 470 Cisalpino?

that is very infamous, comparable with the Netherland issue of the AB V250 or even worse

 

There is also a specific site that was born to track all the issue with that train  http://www.cessoalpino.com/en/

 

Due to the train poor performance the company Cisalpino (Joint Venture between FS and SBB) has been closed and trains splitted between the 2 companies, (SBB has already removed from service all their stock of ETR470)

 

I was able to see that train every morning as it was passing through the station were I used to take the train to go to the city center

[Alemino]

do you think we should translate "cessoalpino" so that's clear how much we "love" that train? 

 

 

There is also a specific site that was born to track all the issue with that train  http://www.cessoalpino.com/en/

 

 

[Melandir]

do you think we should translate "cessoalpino" so that's clear how much we "love" that train? 

 

you are right Alemino, others will not understand it if not translated properly :)

 

Cesso Alpino = Alps WC

[railsquid]

Look up "cess pit" ;)

[bikkuri bahn]

 (SBB has already removed from service all their stock of ETR470)

 

Yes, I was surprised this past month to see the RABe 503 units on the Gotthard Line as I thought they only ran on the BLS route.  I even snatched a short ride on one from Arth Goldau to Zug. 

[westfalen]

Are you talking about ETR 470 Cisalpino?

that is very infamous, comparable with the Netherland issue of the AB V250 or even worse

 

There is also a specific site that was born to track all the issue with that train  http://www.cessoalpino.com/en/

 

Due to the train poor performance the company Cisalpino (Joint Venture between FS and SBB) has been closed and trains splitted between the 2 companies, (SBB has already removed from service all their stock of ETR470)

 

I was able to see that train every morning as it was passing through the station were I used to take the train to go to the city center

Yeah, that's the one.

[Alemino]

the ETR470 has been a pain in the  $$  since the first day. I did use past decade and even before a lot of trains on Gotthard route (being from the south Switzerland, studying and working in the north Switzerland) and once in the ETR470, the train broke down when i was on. Lost hours till i was home.

 

From that day i never took that "train" again. When SBB and Trenitalia separated i still avoided the Intercity's train (if not 100% sure that was a ICN  RABDe 500 train) why behind was hidden the ETR470 (which was called cessoalpino ehm CIS before) and took the well beloved milk train with a Re 4/4 and normal cars. Took 20 min longer but i did reach my destination, always, on time :)

[Melandir]

As soon as it was clear that the ETR470 was a faulty desing, the company Cisalpino ordered new trains to Alstom

 

the new ETR 600/610

 

https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elettrotreno_Cisalpino_ETR.610

 

Alstom delivered the train 2 years later than expected (60 millions fine), but at this point the fate of the CIsalpino company was already signed, the trains builted were splitted between SBB and FS and are still operational today in both SBB and FS livery