Border Crossings: Italy - Switzerland

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Main line passenger trains between Switzerland and Italy, both local and long-distance, are largely operated by electric multiple-units able to work on 15kV AC and 3000V DC. The main exception is SBB local trains terminating and starting at Domodossola.

(Domodossola -) Iselle di Trasquera FS - Brig SBB

[E*] SBB and BLS work to Domodossola, where electric locomotives are shunted back to their own end of the station. Through freight trains change locomotive in sidings adjacent to Domodossola station. Those requiring remarshalling are worked to and from Domodossola Smistamento by SBB and BLS via an independent line electrified at 15kV 16.7Hz. FS owns the railway to Iselle di Trasquera, but operates no trains. Electrification equipment is to Italian design, with typical tubular masts, but energised at 15 kV 16.7 Hz.

(Domodossola -) Ribellasca SSIF - Camedo FART (- Locarno)

[E] This metre-gauge railway is operated as a single entity by Società Subalpina di Imprese Ferroviarie (SSIF, Italian company) and Ferrovie autolinee regionali ticinesi (FART, Swiss company), with through electric multiple units from end to end.

(Luino -) Pino-Tronzano FS - Ranzo-S Abbondio FFS (- Cadenazzo)

[E*] FFS/SBB works a two hourly Bellinzona - Malpensa service jointly with Trenord.

(Arcisate -) Cantello-Gaggiolo FS - Stabio FFS (- Mendrisio)

This new international line opened to passengers on 7 January 2018. Passenger services on the Mendrisio - Stabio section within Switzerland started on December 15 2014.

(Malnate -) Santa Margherita Confine IT/CH (- Stabio - Mendrisio)

[D] Club del San Gottardo started operating a summer tourist service over the Ponte Lanza - Santa Margherita section of the former Ferrovia Mendrisio-Stabio in 1993. It was extended in stages until from 2007 it covered the Mendrisio - Stabio CH - Malnate IT section.

Operations on the cross-border section were suspended in 2015 as a result of the start of work on the Stabio - Arcisate line (see previous entry), the tourist service operating exclusively in Swiss territory. After a considerable period of inactivity the Mendrisio site was closed from 31 December 2020 with the Club concentrating on their "Swiss Railpark" site at Biasca, to where all rolling stock and offices have been transferred. Therefore there are no longer any tourist trains on any part of this line.

Reopening of the entire line through to Castellanza has been proposed by various local authorities on the route.

(Milano -) Cucciago FS/Como S Giovanni FS - Border FS 50.450 = FFS 206.481 - Chiasso FFS (- Lugano)

The Como avoiding line (via Monte Olimpino tunnel II) joins the FS main line (via Como and Monte Olimpino tunnel I) in Italian territory but north of the tunnel mouths. The Chiasso Smistamento freight line diverges from the passenger line here, still in Italian territory and giving rise to two parallel border crossings, as follows:

(Milano -) Cucciago FS/Como S Giovanni FS - Chiasso FFS (passenger station) (- Lugano)

[E*] Passenger line. Italian single-voltage locomotives work to Chiasso, where they are shunted off their trains; there is no voltage switching.

(Milano -) Cucciago FS/Como S Giovanni FS - Chiasso Smistamento FFS (- Lugano)

[E*] Freight line. Italian single-voltage locomotives work to Chiasso Smistamento marshalling yard.

Tirano RhB - Campocologno RhB (- St.Moritz)

[E] This is the Rhätische Bahn metre gauge line, worked exclusively by that company.

See also