R4 (RER Vaud)

R4
White train with red front under curved train shed
A Le Brassus-bound S22 at Lausanne in 2021; the S22 was folded in to the S4 in December 2022
Overview
Predecessor
First service11 December 2022 (2022-12-11)
Current operator(s)Swiss Federal Railways
Route
TerminiLe Brassus
St-Maurice
Stops33
Distance travelled
  • 97.9 kilometres (60.8 mi) (Vallorbe–St-Maurice)
  • 115.9 kilometres (72.0 mi) (Le Brassus–St-Maurice)
Average journey time
  • 1 hour 26 minutes (Vallorbe–Aigle)
  • 2 hours 2 minutes (Le Brassus–Aigle)
  • 10 minutes (Aigle–St-Maurice)
Service frequencyHourly
Line(s) usedSimplon line

The R4 is a railway service of RER Vaud that provides hourly service between Le Brassus and Aigle in the Swiss canton of Vaud. A limited number of trains continue from Aigle to St-Maurice. On weekdays, a section of the train operates from Le Day to Vallorbe. Swiss Federal Railways, the national railway company of Switzerland, operates the service. The service was previously known as the S4.

Operations

The R4 operates every hour between Le Brassus and Aigle, using the western end of the Simplon line. The R4 makes a limited number of stops between Lausanne and Aigle. The R4 is paired with the R3 between Le Day and Aigle, providing half-hourly service. Both the R3 and R4 provide limited service beyond Aigle to St-Maurice. On weekdays, a section of the R4 operates between Le Day and Vallorbe.[3][4]

History

See also: R2 (RER Vaud) § History, and S22 (RER Vaud) § History

The "first" S4 was one of the six original lines of the RER Vaud, then called the Vaud Express Network (French: Réseau express vaudois, REV), when that system was established in December 2004. It ran hourly between Morges and Palézieux.[5] SBB extended the S4 west from Morges to Allaman with the December 2011 timetable change, making local stops.[6] Rush-hour service to Romont began on 10 December 2017.[7] In December 2021, SBB increased the number of rush-hour round-trips between Allaman and Romont from three to six.[8]

The RER Vaud lines were substantially reorganized for the December 2022 timetable change. The "new" S4 was a combination of the former S2 and S22, making local stops on the Simplon line between Vallorbe and Lausanne, and limited stops between Lausanne and Aigle, with limited service from Aigle to St-Maurice.[9] On 10 December 2023, all RER Vaud lines were renamed as "R" and a number, instead of "S."[10]

References

  1. ^ Eisenbahnatlas Schweiz. Cologne: Schweers + Wall. 2012. p. 29. ISBN 978-3-89494-130-7.
  2. ^ "Réseau Express Régional Vaud" (PDF) (in French). Swiss Federal Railways. 11 December 2022. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
  3. ^ "Lausanne - Le Day - Le Brassus/Vallorbe" (PDF) (in French). Swiss Federal Railways. 7 November 2023. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  4. ^ "Lausanne - Sion - Brig (RER Vaud, lignes R1, R2, R3, R4)" (PDF) (in French). Swiss Federal Railways. 7 November 2023. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  5. ^ Emery, Daniel (2005). "SBB Regional Transport: Evolution of the passenger services - Case Study of the Canton of Vaud" (PDF). p. 5.
  6. ^ "L'horaire CFF 2012 soigne les liaisons internationales". Radio Télévision Suisse (in French). 17 November 2021. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  7. ^ "Fahrplanentwurf 2018 für den Schweizer ÖV ab heute online". www.info24news.net (in German). 29 May 2017. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  8. ^ "2022 timetable for French-speaking Switzerland". www.sbb.ch. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  9. ^ "2023 timetable for French-speaking Switzerland". www.sbb.ch. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  10. ^ "Timetable change on 10 December 2023". www.sbb.ch. Retrieved 10 December 2023.