About this journey

Luzern station sits at the edge of Lake Lucerne as a terminal, meaning the BLS RABe 525 departs by reversing the approach the line makes from the west before turning south into the platforms. The station itself dates to 1856, when it opened as the terminus of the Schweizerische Centralbahn main line from Olten and Basel, and the tracks were electrified in 1922. One of the lines that made Lucerne a major railway hub was precisely this route toward Bern via Wolhusen, a corridor that remains the backbone of today's RegioExpress and S6 services.

The first intermediate stop beyond the city is Luzern Littau station, which received its current name only at the December 2023 timetable change, having previously been known simply as Littau. The station was also undergoing platform reconstruction between January 2024 and January 2026, introducing 55 cm-high, 220 m-long side platforms designed for barrier-free boarding. The line continues west through Wolhusen and then northeast toward Langnau i.E. before turning toward Bern.

Bern station, the journey's terminus, opened progressively between 1858 and 1860, its development accelerated by Bern's designation as Switzerland's federal capital in 1848. BLS and SBB share operations there today, and a major infrastructure expansion — now expected to complete in 2029 — continues to reshape the station. The journey thus connects two of Switzerland's great 19th-century terminal stations across a line that has evolved steadily ever since.