The Bernese Oberland Railway (BOB), which transports its passengers from Interlaken Ost to Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald, generated a transport income of 12.4 million Swiss francs in 2016, despite a decline in traffic to the Jungfraujoch of 2.7 per cent compared to the record set the previous year. The Schynige Platte Railway recorded a transport revenue of CHF 3.6 million, an increase of 19 per cent. With 120,000 guests (arriving at Schynige Platte), visitor numbers were increased by 26 per cent on 2015. Taking part in the UBS Mountain Offer paid off for the Schynige Platte Railway in the reporting year. The UBS special ticket entitled travellers to a return trip from Wilderswil to Schynige Platte for CHF 10. Berner Oberland-Bahnen AG recorded a total transport income of CHF 16 million, the highest in its history. With a profit of CHF 1.5 million, it was a very good overall annual result.
Important renovations
Berner Oberland-Bahnen AG is in an intensive phase of development. Work on the CHF 35 million expansion of the Zweilschschinen depot has been successful. The new depot was handed over to the company in stages by the end of the year. In November 2016, the first train of the new BOB rolling stock was delivered and used for the first test runs. As a strategic partner in the V-Cableway project, Berner Oberland-Bahnen AG drove forward the planning of its sub-project during the reporting year. The planning application for Rothenegg station was submitted in spring 2016 as part of the overall plan approval process. Due to pending objections and complaints with the V-Cableway, the building permit for the new station with direct access to the planned terminal could not yet be issued.
Amounts in CHF (1000s) | 2016 | 2015 | Change in per cent |
Transport revenue, Berner Oberland-Bahn | 12,408 | 12,749 | -2.7% |
Transport revenue, Schynige Platte-Bahn | 3,550 | 2,982 | 19.0% |
Compensation | 12,855 | 12,330 | 4.3% |
| | | |
Total operating income | 35,305 | 34,742 | 1.6% |
Total operating expenses | -26,598 | -26,941 | -1.3% |
EBITDA | 8,707 | 7,800 | 11.6% |
Annual profit | 1,531 | 2,026 | -24.4% |
Outlook: Commissioning of new rolling stock in 2017
A total of six new three-part trainsets and three low-floor units were ordered from BOB for over 77 million francs. After the commissioning of the first new rail car in mid-February 2017, additional trains were gradually introduced. From the second half of the year onwards, all will be put into operation on schedule. Thanks to the expansion of the depot, which was inaugurated in the middle of February 2017, the new rolling stock can be maintained directly on site at Zweilütschinen.
The Berner Oberland-Bahnen AG annual report is published at the following link: www.jungfrau.ch/geschaeftsbericht-bob.
