ETH Chapter Basel Alumni Tour of BLT Baselland Transport AG

This article has been translated with AI.

An enthusiastic crowd of 22 people from the ETH Alumni OG Basel gathered in front of the BLT headquarters in Oberwil and received yellow safety vests and name badges in pleasant fall weather. Guido Nigg organized the excursion to mark the introduction of the TINA streetcar, BLT's latest achievement. He welcomed the eagerly awaiting participants and explained the upcoming program with several stops within the BLT area. After a brief welcome from the company representatives, the Head of Innovation first introduced us to the "Pick-e-Bike" concept, which was developed in 2018. E-bikes can be triggered via app and hired for trips. Based on previous experience, this service is mainly used by 35-45-year-olds, men and women (60/40%) for average journeys of 15 minutes. A ticket is required for the fast version of the bikes. The definition of the rayon intended for use was one of the most discussed questions.

At the next stop, the workshop manager explained the division of tasks in the maintenance and servicing of the buses and answered questions about the interval and amount of water required for daily cleaning, the minor maintenance work carried out locally and the externally commissioned services such as preparation for the annual motor vehicle inspection or upcoming bodywork repairs.

The real highlight of the afternoon was the tour of Stadler Rail's TiNA (totally integrated low-floor drive) streetcars. During development, particular attention was paid to passenger comfort. We were able to see for ourselves the spacious, completely stepless interior, the comfortable seats and large panoramic windows. The driver's seat with its state-of-the-art driver's desk was also enthusiastically tried out by most of us. The relatively steep exit from the driver's cab is more comparable to that of an SBB locomotive than that of a more familiar streetcar. On the way to the control center, we passed the large streetcar parking hall, where other TiNA and older streetcars could be admired.

In the operations control room, a variety of information on the control and management of vehicle operations could be admired on several screens. The complex operation is made possible by the fact that driver(s) can be deployed either full-time, part-time or on an hourly basis. The BLT control center is responsible for transport in the Baselland area. As soon as BLT vehicles are on the road in the Basel area, the BVB control center takes over - and vice versa.

Having now arrived in the lecture hall, the BLT Managing Director informed us about some general aspects of Transport AG and gave a brief overview of the 2030 strategy. Essentially, he mentioned the further development of the core business, the enhancement of the customer experience and the attractiveness as an employer.

In the final technical presentation, the Head of Service Planning and Expansion explained the ambitious future project to efficiently connect the Leim Valley to Basel SBB station and Badischer Bahnhof. Finally, the opportunity to ask the company representatives additional questions was used intensively in the Südschlaufe bar room - over an aperitif with Alsace Gewürztraminer, beer or water and cookies.

A short streetcar ride took us to the Restaurant zur alten Post in the center of Oberwil. A delicious dinner awaited us there (mixed salad, veal noodles with risotto and vegetables, accompanied by a fine Negroamaro wine from Italy and chocolate mousse for dessert). The rectangular seating arrangement allowed for a cosy get-together as well as interesting joint discussions on various topics such as the history of electricity types in public transport in Switzerland, advertising for the next ETH Alumni event and possible excursion topics for 2025. A big thank you goes to Guido Nigg for organizing this great and instructive excursion.