SWITZERLAND: Trams now serve the business and residential areas of Bümpliz and Brünnen in the western suburbs of Bern, replacing two former trolleybus routes.
On December 12 public transport operator Bernmobil inaugurated its Tram Bern West project, a 6·8 km Y-shaped extension of the city’s light rail network from Kaufmännischer Verband to Bümpliz and Brünnen-Westside.
Two new tram routes have been introduced. The Bümpliz branch forms part of Line 7, with its eastern terminus in Ostring, while the Brünnen route operates as Line 8 which runs from the Westside shopping centre via Bethlehem and the main railway station to Saali. The two branches meet at Unterführung and share a 2 km section of new track as far as Kaufmännischer Verband, where they join the existing network serving central and eastern Bern.
In November 2007 Bernmobil awarded Siemens a €65m order to supply 21 Combino Classic 100% low-floor trams for use on Line 9 to Wabern and Tram Bern West. The air-conditioned cars are 42 m long and 2 300 mm wide.
