Bercher railway station

LocationBercher, Vaud
Switzerland

Coordinates46°41′34″N 6°42′13″E / 46.69288°N 6.70365°E / 46.69288; 6.70365

Elevation627 m (2,057 ft)

Owned byChemin de fer Lausanne-Échallens-Bercher [fr]

Bercher
The station in 2011
General information
Location	Bercher, Vaud Switzerland
Coordinates	46°41′34″N 6°42′13″E / 46.69288°N 6.70365°E / 46.69288; 6.70365
Elevation	627 m (2,057 ft)
Owned by	Chemin de fer Lausanne-Échallens-Bercher [fr]
Line	Lausanne–Bercher line
Distance	23.7 km (14.7 mi) from Lausanne-Flon[1]
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	2
Train operators	Chemin de fer Lausanne-Échallens-Bercher [fr]
Connections	PostBus routes 430, 662 and 665[2]
Construction
Accessible	Yes
Other information
Station code	8501177 (BERC)
Fare zone	52 (mobilis)[3]
History
Opened	24 November 1889 (1889-11-24)
Electrified	7 December 1935
Services
Preceding station LEB Following station Terminus R20 Fey towards Lausanne-Flon
Location

Bercher railway station (French: Gare de Bercher) is a railway station in the municipality of Bercher, in the Swiss canton of Vaud. It is the northern terminus of the 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) Lausanne–Bercher line of the Chemin de fer Lausanne-Échallens-Bercher [fr] (LEB). The station has two terminal tracks, each with a side platform, together with a passing loop and a siding.^[1][4]

Bercher station opened to service on 24 November 1889, as the outer terminus of the Compagnie du Central Vaudois line from Échallens station. Although the Central Vaudois was nominally an independent company, its line was operated by the Lausanne-Échallens line, with which it connected at Échallens. The two lines merged as the LEB in 1913, and were electrified in 1935.^[5]

The main reason for building the line to Bercher was the presence in the town of a condensed milk plant owned by Nestlé. This was linked to the station by an aerial cableway. However, in 1921, the plant closed, resulting in a sharp decline in freight traffic on the LEB railway.^[5][6]