Friday, November 25, 2011

Switzerland's answer to transiting trucks - put them onto trains

Two Re 465 class electrics of the BLS take a truck-train over the Loetschberg.
The Swiss are very environmentally conscious and in Switzerland, unlike in NZ, it isn't just slogans, they actually do something about it.  The people don't want a constant stream of big trucks clogging their highways as Steven Joyce wants here, instead the government gives them Rollwagen (railway carry-cars) and they take the train through the country.  The whole set-up is called the Rollende Landstrasse (abbreviated RoLa) - the rolling highway.

The flat cars have low floors with small wheel diameters (380/360/335 mm). The drivers get passenger carriages to sit in and enjoy themselves through the trip.  At the endpoints of the rail connections, there are special loading ramps which trucks easily drive on and off.

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