Lausanne–Geneva railway

The origins of the railway stretch back to 1855, when the West Switzerland Company (Compagnie de l’Ouest Suisse, OS) opened the Morges–Renens section as part of the Jura Foot Railway. The extension to Lausanne was completed in 1856.[2]

In March 1858, the Lyon-Geneva Railway (Chemin de fer Lyon-Genève, LG) opened the line between the two cities and this work included the opening of the section between Geneva-Cornavin and the depot of La Châtelaine.[2] A month later, the OS opened its extension to Versoix in two stages. The gap was closed in June of the same year, when the Geneva–Versoix Railway (Chemin de fer Genève–Versoix, GV) joined the two cities.

In 1949, the section between Geneva and the industrial area of La Praille was opened as the starting point for the long sought connection between Geneva's main station of Cornavin and the SNCF’s Geneva-Eaux Vives terminus. Work on the line commenced in 2012 under the project name of CEVA. Until the opening of Lancy-Pont Rouge station in 2002, the line was reserved for freight traffic, but since then it has also handled passenger traffic. The station played an important role during Euro 2008, because the Stade de Genève is in the immediate vicinity.

In 1987, Geneva Airport was connected by a branch line from the La Châtelaine yard on the line to Lyon. Since its opening, the line has been electrified at 15 kV AC and has had double track. It is reserved for long-distance traffic.

Malley-Prilly station was opened in 2011 as part of a project for the establishment of the Réseau Express Vaudois (Vaud express network) between Renens and Lausanne. Nevertheless, operations at Tolochenaz station were abandoned at the same time.

A second track had been added to the Morges–Allaman and Gland–Geneva sections by 1868. Duplication of the Allaman–Gland and Renens–Lausanne sections followed in 1872 and the last remaining section between Morges and Renens had also been doubled by 1879.

The line was electrified in 1925 with the SBB single phase 15 kV AC 16.7 Hz system. The branch line to Lancy followed in 1951.[2] The Geneva–La Chatelaine section was electrified with the SNCF 1500 volt DC system, but with the opening of the Geneva Airport railway in 1987 additional tracks electrified at 15 kV AC were added.

As part of the Rail 2000 project, a third track was put into operation between Coppet and Geneva in 2004 after four years of construction and twelve years of planning; this line is used by regional services. The long-distance and freight traffic continues to use the original two tracks. The stations between Coppet and Geneva were rebuilt as single-track halts and the platforms on the old line were dismantled. Regional services between Coppet and Allaman ended and six stations were closed: Founex, Céligny, Crans, Prangins, Gilly-Bursinel, and Perroy.[3]

InterCity trains to Bern–Zürich–St. Gallen, as well as InterRegio trains from Geneva Airport to Lucerne and Brig, run the full distance. EuroCity trains operated with ETR 610 sets run to Milan and Venice and RegioExpress trains run between Geneva-Cornavin and Lausanne over the line from Geneva to Lausanne. In addition, the Geneva Airport–Morges section is used by ICN tilting trains running via the Jura Foot Railway to Basel SBB and St. Gallen.

In addition, the Lausanne–Renens section serves the long-distance traffic to Paris and the Jura Foot Railway.

The Vaud express network has been established in the Greater Lausanne region and runs between Renens and Lausanne.

In the Greater Geneva area, regional trains on the Coppet–Lancy–Pont Rouge route run on a separate track between Coppet and Geneva.

Regional services have been abandoned between Allaman and Coppet and all stations except Rolle, Gland and Nyon have been closed. The remaining stations are served by InterRegio and RegioExpress services.