The Orbe-Chavornay railway: Tram-trains from Karlsruhe in Switzerland (2025)

The idyllic town of Orbe has been connected to the neighboring town of Chavornay by a four-kilometer-long branch line since 1894, where it connects to the Swiss Federal Railway. In contrast to the limited passenger traffic, freight transport has been a major focus from the beginning. The line is electrified with 700 volts DC. In 2021, the railcar used until then suffered irreparable damage, forcing service to be temporarily suspended. Since July 2022, two GT8-100C tram-trains acquired from Karlsruhe have been in service instead. But they are only a temporary solution: the reconstruction of the line to enable Orbe to be served by conventional trains has already begun. Operations will therefore have to be temporarily suspended from December 2025. Once the line reopens at the end of 2026, new trains will take over the new through-running service between Orbe and Lausanne. 0:00 Intro 0:46 Scenic shots with GT8-100C and freight trains 10:20 Interior shots of car 004 10:51 Ride in car 004 from Chavornay to Orbe