Basel S-Bahn

The Basel S-Bahn (German: Trinationale S-Bahn Basel, French: RER trinational de Bâle) has provided an S-Bahn-style rail service connecting the Basel metropolitan area since 1997 in Switzerland, Germany and France. It consists of eight suburban train lines, including four that operate across borders.

Basel S-Bahn
S-Bahn train at Basel SBB
Overview
Native name	German: Trinationale S-Bahn Basel, French: RER trinational de Bâle
Owner	SBB CFF FFS, SBB GmbH, DB, SNCF Mobilités
Area served	Swiss cantons of Basel-City, Basel-Country, Aargau, Solothurn, Jura, German state of Baden-Württemberg, and the French region of Grand Est
Locale	Basel metropolitan area
Transit type	S-Bahn
Number of stations	108
Annual ridership	47 million (2019)
Headquarters	Basel, Switzerland
Website	www.trireno.org
Operation
Began operation	1997 (1997)
Operator(s)	SBB CFF FFS, DB Regio, TER Grand Est
Character	At-grade
Technical
System length	357 km (222 mi)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
System map S1 S11 to Gottenheim S64 to Schaffhausen S2 RB 26 RB 27 to Gundelfingen Zell (Wiesental) S5 S6 Erzingen RB30 S64 S2 S10 RB 26 RB27 RB 28 Freiburg Hauptbahnhof Wiese Grießen (Baden) S1 S10 S11 to Titisee Hausen-Raitbach Wutach Freiburg-St. Georgen Fahrnau Lauchringen RB30 Ebringen Schopfheim-Schlattholz RB 37 to Weizen Schallstadt Schopfheim Lauchringen West Norsingen Schopfheim West Steina S3 to Münstertal (Schwarzwald) Maulburg Tiengen (Hochrhein) S3 Bad Krozingen Wiese Schlücht Heitersheim Steinen S5 S27 S36 to Koblenz Buggingen Wiese Waldshut S27 S36 RB 37 Müllheim (Baden) Lörrach-Brombach/Hauingen Dogern RB 27 RB 28 to Neuenburg (Baden) Lörrach-Haagen/Messe Albbruck Auggen Lörrach Schwarzwaldstraße Alb Schliengen Lörrach Hauptbahnhof Laufenburg (Baden) Ost Bad Bellingen Lörrach Museum/Burghof Rheinweiler Lörrach-Stetten Laufenburg (Baden) Kleinkems Murg to Mulhouse Dornach Istein Lörrach Dammstraße Murg (Baden) to Flaxlanden Efringen-Kirchen Wiese Bad Säckingen TER RB 28 Mulhouse-Ville Kander Wehr-Brennet RB 28 to Neuenburg (Baden) Eimeldingen Weil am Rhein Ost Wehra Rixheim Haltingen Weil am Rhein Pfädlistraße Schwörstadt Habsheim S5 Weil am Rhein Weil am Rhein Gartenstadt Beuggen Sierentz Germany Switzerland Germany Switzerland Rheinfelden (Baden) Bartenheim Wiese Riehen Herten (Baden) Saint-Louis-la-Chaussée Riehen Niederholz Wyhlen Saint-Louis RB27 RB30 Basel Bad Bf Grenzach France Switzerland Basel St. Johann Germany Switzerland S1 S3 S6 TER Basel SBB / SNCF High Rhine Basel Dreispitz BS BL Birs BS BL Muttenz Münchenstein Pratteln Dornach-Arlesheim Aesch Frenkendorf-Füllinsdorf Pratteln Salina Raurica Duggingen Liestal 19 BL AG Ergolz Grellingen 19 to Waldenburg Kaiseraugst Zwingen Lausen Rheinfelden Augarten Laufen Itingen Rheinfelden BL SO Sissach S9 Möhlin SO JU Diepflingen Möhlinbach to Biel/Bienne Sommerau Ergolz Mumpf Delémont Rümlingen Gelterkinden Stein-Säckingen Courtételle Buckten Tecknau Courfaivre Läufelfingen Eiken Sissle Bassecourt BL SO S1 Frick Laufenburg S1 R36 Glovelier to Brugg AG R36 to La Chaux-de-Fonds Trimbach St-Ursanne Aare S23 S26 S29 to Aarau Olten S3 S9 S20 S26 Courgenay S20 to Solothurn S23 S29 to Aarburg-Oftringen R51 to Bonfol to Bern S3 R51 Porrentruy to Belfort – Montbéliard TGV

The S-Bahn is operated by the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS), its German subsidiary SBB GmbH, the German DB, and the French SNCF Voyageurs. The responsible transport authorities are the Swiss cantons of Basel-City, Basel-Country, Aargau, Solothurn, Jura; the German state of Baden-Württemberg and the French region of Grand Est. Since 2018, they coordinate under the name trireno the future extension of the S-Bahn.

The services connect with those of Aargau S-Bahn, Breisgau S-Bahn, Schaffhausen S-Bahn, Zürich S-Bahn and other regional train services (Chemins de fer du Jura, DB Regio Baden-Württemberg, TER Grand Est).

Operations

Due to various factors, the service frequency of the five suburban train lines is not the same. Lines S1 (between Basel SBB and Stein-Säckingen) and S3 (between Olten and Laufen) with a large patronage run every half hour. Lines with medium ridership (TER, RB30, RB27, S5 and S6) operate every half hour during peak hours and generally at hourly intervals during off-peak hours and on weekends. Lines with low ridership (S1 between Stein-Säckingen and Laufenburg/Frick, S3 between Laufen and Porrentruy and S9) operate at hourly intervals. Due to operating in three countries, this pattern of operations is not only determined by demand, but also by the various national and local governments involved.

Two S-Bahn services operate on each of the lines between Basel SBB and Pratteln and between Lörrach-Stetten and Steinen, resulting in a 15 minute frequency on these lines. During peak hours additional services operate.

Lines

As of the December 2023 timetable change, the following lines operate:

• S1: Basel SBB – Rheinfelden – Stein-Säckingen – Frick / Laufenburg
• S3: Porrentruy – Delémont – Laufen – Basel SBB – Liestal – Sissach – Olten
• S5: Weil am Rhein – Lörrach Hbf – Steinen (– Schopfheim – Zell (Wiesental))
• S6: Basel SBB – Basel Bad Bf – Riehen – Lörrach Hbf – Steinen – Schopfheim – Zell (Wiesental)
• S9: Sissach – Läufelfingen – Olten
• TER: Mulhouse – Basel SBB
• RB27: Basel SBB – Müllheim (Baden) – Freiburg (Breisgau) Hbf
• RB30: Basel Bad Bf – Rheinfelden (Baden) – Bad Säckingen – Laufenburg (Baden) – Waldshut – Lauchringen (– Erzingen)

Lines S1, S3 and S9 are operated by Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) and serve Switzerland only.

Lines S5 and S6 are operated by SBB GmbH, SBB's German subsidiary, the former serving Germany only and the latter going between Switzerland and Germany.

Line RB27 and RB30 are operated by DB Regio, the commuter rail arm of Deutsche Bahn, and both serve Switzerland and Germany. (RB stands for Regionalbahn, German for "regional rail".)

Line TER is operated by SNCF Voyageurs, the regional rail arm of French state railway company SNCF, and runs between Switzerland and France as part of the TER Grand Est network. (TER stands for Transport express régional.)

The 357 km-long railway network currently includes 108 stations and stops, of which 47 are in Switzerland, 54 in Germany and 7 are in France. The shortest line is the S5 (14 km) and the longest line is S3 (106 km).

Fare networks

The trireno is operating in the integrated fare networks TriRegio (twn, RVL, distribus, SNCF TER), twn, RVF, RVL, and TER Grand Est.

Proposals

The Herzstück Basel project involves the planning and construction of a tunnel through Basel city centre, providing a more direct link between Basel Badische Bahnhof and Basel SBB via two new underground stations, "Basel Mitte" and "Basel Klybeck".

External links

• Media related to S-Bahn Basel at Wikimedia Commons
• Official website