Allaman Railway Station

AllamanSwitzerland 46° N · 6° E Updated Aug 2026

Allaman's small station once had a tram line to Aubonne and Gimel, and today its Sicilian pizzeria is a local institution.

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Allaman Railway Station Photo: MHM55 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Time needed
30 minutes
Entry
Free
Access
Wheelchair accessible
Best season
Year-round

The most visible thing at Allaman Railway Station is what's missing: a narrow-gauge tramway that once turned a three-track halt in Allaman, Switzerland, into a proper transport hub. Most passengers only glance up long enough to check the Geneva-bound departure. You should pause because this unassuming stop on the Lausanne–Geneva line still carries the ghost of a vanished network beneath its commuter calm.

Trains slip through at kilometre point 21.48, between Étoy and Rolle. RegioExpress services run twice hourly toward Saint-Maurice, and RER Vaud lines R8 and R9 fan out toward Payerne and Murten. In the few seconds the platform is in view, you could mistake this for anywhere — but nowhere else in the canton has quite this layering of railway archaeology.

The station building itself is a documented piece of Swiss railway heritage, photographed for the SBB Historic archive from the track side in 2003. A short walk to the north, Allaman Castle predates it by some seven hundred years. That contrast — medieval fortress above, nineteenth-century railway below — is the whole reason to step off the train.

And if you stay past the last RegioExpress, the station becomes something stranger: a place where the removal of a footbridge in 2021 and the absence of a tram since 1937 feel equally present.

Researched by the Audiala editorial team from historical records, architectural archives, and local expertise.

What to see

  1. The 46-Tonne Footbridge

    You don't expect a village stop to hold a piece of industrial theatre, but Allaman's steel footbridge delivers one. It arrived in two pieces on 26 and 27 May 2019 — 33 metres long, 3.6 wide, all 46 tonnes of it — and now hangs over tracks first laid in 1858. Walk to the middle. The deck hums as a RegioExpress leans past; the metallic echo underfoot is the station's own percussion. From up there, Allaman Castle shows its towers above the treeline on winter days, while the Alps come into frame to the southeast.

  2. The 1858 Station Building

    Allaman's passenger building is the quiet workhorse of the Swiss rail network: three plain storeys, a pitched roof, ochre render weathered to old paper. At 421 metres, it sits low in the vineyards of La Côte above Allaman, morning light hitting the facade like a stage flat. No ticket clerk. Just the beeps of the machine, the rattle of 16 covered bike spaces, and the slap of air as a non-stop InterRegio cracks past the platform edge.

  3. A Slow Circuit from Platform to Château

    Leave the station forecourt and turn uphill through the village; within ten minutes you'll pass the Church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste, then Maison de Rochefort, before Allaman Castle rears up above the vineyards. This is the station's real gift: the contrast between rail-speed and the slow, stony quiet of a wine village that has held this slope for centuries. Follow the old tramway trace toward Aubonne if you can find it — a straight line of trees and a faint embankment still mark where the rails once ran. Return at dusk, when the footbridge glows under the platform lamps and the last RegioExpress leaves a trail of red light along the tracks.

Plan your visit

Getting There
Allaman sits on the SBB Lausanne–Geneva main line, about 18–21 minutes from Lausanne and 30–40 from Geneva, with around 79 direct trains a day. MBC bus lines 720, 721, 723, 724, 727 and 846 call at Allaman gare; drivers find 86 standard P+Rail spaces, 1 disabled space and 4 reservable spots on Route de la Gare. The village centre and Allaman Castle are a 5–10 minute walk.
Opening Hours
Platforms stay open round the clock, all year, and there is no staffed counter or ticket window with fixed hours. As of 2026, trains from Lausanne run from around 00:00 to 23:34, with no seasonal closure of the stop itself.
Time Needed
Treat this as a working station: allow 2–5 minutes just to catch a train, 5–10 for a connection, or 30–60 to wander the village and walk up toward the 11th-century Allaman Castle. From Lausanne, budget at least a 1-hour round trip.
Accessibility
SBB lists Allaman as a barrier-free station after a recent accessibility upgrade, but platform-level detail is thin online. Reduced-mobility travellers should check the SBB trafimage handicap map and book assistance before travelling, as there is no confirmed lift or ramp information for the platforms.
Cost/Tickets
Entering the station costs nothing; you pay only for trains. P+Rail parking is CHF 7 per day, CHF 70 per month, or CHF 700 per year as of 2026, and from 5 May 2026 new Vaud rules apply to monthly and annual subscriptions.

History

The Tramway Ghost at Platform 3

The station opened in 1858 with the Morges–Coppet section of the Lausanne–Geneva line, built by the private Compagnie de l'Ouest-Suisse before the national SBB absorbed it in 1902. Records from French railway sources date the inauguration to that year; English sources stay quiet, as if this wasn't news even then.

By 1896, the halt had a second identity: terminus of the Allaman–Aubonne–Gimel tramway, a narrow-gauge feeder that hauled passengers, wine, and market produce from the Jura foothills. For four decades, this was a working interchange, not a waiting room.

The turning point

The Preacher, the Fire, and the Ground the Station Inherited

Guillaume Farel, the French reformer, spent the 1520s preaching a radical Protestant faith across what is now canton Vaud. For him the stakes were not abstract. A sermon in the wrong village could mean arrest, exile, or a blade.

The turning point arrived with fire. In 1530, Bernese reinforcements burned Allaman Castle — a moated medieval fortress — to break Catholic resistance. Records confirm the burning; the precise role of preachers like Farel in this particular blaze is less certain. What changed is clear: Allaman passed into the Reformed camp.

Three hundred and twenty-eight years later, engineers built the station almost in sight of the rebuilt castle. The rails landed on ground already scarred by confession and war.

The Little Tram That Fed the Main Line

From 1896 until 1937, Allaman was the terminus of the Allaman–Aubonne–Gimel tramway. The narrow-gauge line reached Aubonne first, then climbed to Gimel, carrying wine, milk, and schoolchildren from the Jura foothills down to the main line. When buses replaced it in 1937, the station lost its second job. No rail, sign, or museum marks the tramway today; even the exact terminus footprint may lie sealed under the current parking lot.

A Stop on Switzerland's First Rail Generation

The Lausanne–Geneva line was one of Switzerland's earliest railways, built in the 1850s by the Compagnie de l'Ouest-Suisse and folded into SBB in 1902. Allaman's three platforms were extended between 2019 and 2021 to handle double-unit RABe 511 trains on the new RegioExpress pattern. The station became wheelchair-accessible in 2021, and a new footbridge replaced the old metal passerelle. A small upgrade, but one that tells the longer arc from private railway to national timetable.

Tips for visitors

  • Sicilian platform kitchen

    Restaurant Pizzeria de la Gare, right at the platforms, has been a local fixture for over a decade and does solid Sicilian pizza and pasta at roughly CHF 18–28. For a quicker, cheaper meal, Coop Restaurant Allaman runs about CHF 10–20.

  • Ten-minute castle detour

    If you have 30–60 minutes between trains, walk 500–800 m to Allaman Castle, an 11th-century fortress burned in 1530 and later nicknamed the Castle of Peace. The route from Route de la Gare is gentle, but keep your return time in view.

  • Book past peak

    SBB super saver fares on the Lausanne–Allaman corridor can undercut standard prices by up to 70%, but avoid weekday departures 06:00–10:00 and 15:00–19:00, when fares climb. A half-fare card or GA Travelcard also softens the 18–21 minute hop.

  • Dodge the commuter crunch

    P+Rail Allaman fills fast on weekdays, with SBB predicting high occupancy from about 07:00 to 16:00. Arrive before 07:00 or after 17:00 for an easy space, and reserve ahead if you want one of the four reservable spots.

  • No lockers, pack light

    Allaman has no luggage lockers or left-luggage desk, so do not plan to store bags here. If you detour to the castle or pizzeria, carry everything with you or leave larger cases in Lausanne or Geneva.

  • Freight surprises

    Allaman handles CFF Cargo trains carrying containers, sugar beet and potatoes, so a freight run can rumble through with little warning. Stand well behind the yellow line, especially when express passenger services pass at speed.

  • Snap, but don't fly

    Casual photos of platforms and trains are fine, but commercial filming on SBB property needs permission, and drones near railway infrastructure are legally sensitive in Switzerland. Ask the private owners before photographing Allaman Castle grounds.

Frequently asked

Is Allaman railway station worth visiting?

Not as a destination in itself — it's a small unstaffed commuter stop. But if you're passing through, it rewards a pause: the 46-tonne steel footbridge installed in 2019 gives the best view of the La Côte vineyards and, on clear days, the Alps. And the Restaurant Pizzeria de la Gare, run by Sicilians for over a decade, serves genuinely good pizza right by the platforms.

How long do you need at Allaman railway station?

Two to five minutes if you're just catching a train. Budget 30–60 minutes to walk the footbridge, grab a pizza, and wander toward Allaman Castle, an 11th-century fortress about ten minutes away on foot.

How do I get to Allaman from Lausanne?

Direct SBB trains run roughly 79 times a day, taking 18–21 minutes. RegioExpress and RER Vaud services both stop here. From Geneva, expect 30–40 minutes depending on the service.

What is the best time to visit Allaman station?

Autumn, during the grape harvest, when the smell of fermenting grapes drifts across the platforms and the Jura slopes turn gold. Winter clear days offer the most dramatic Alps views — crisp, snow-covered, and visible right from the footbridge.

Can you visit Allaman railway station for free?

Yes — like all Swiss railway stations, there's no entry fee. You only pay for train travel. Parking costs CHF 7 per day in the P+Rail lot if you drive.

What should I not miss at Allaman station?

Stand at the centre of the footbridge and look both ways — tracks receding toward Rolle and Morges, vineyards climbing the Jura foothills. Then walk to Allaman Castle, burned in 1530 by Bernese troops during the Reformation. The station's own history is hidden too: it was once the terminus of a narrow-gauge tramway to Aubonne and Gimel that ran from 1896 to 1937.

Does Allaman station have parking?

Yes — 86 P+Rail spaces plus one disabled space and four reservable spots. It costs CHF 7 per day, CHF 70 per month, or CHF 700 per year. The lot fills fast on weekday mornings, roughly 7:00 to 16:00, and new subscription rules for Vaud canton kick in from 5 May 2026.

What was the tramway at Allaman station?

From 1896 to 1937, Allaman was the terminus of a narrow-gauge tramway connecting the station to Aubonne, later extended to Gimel. It carried passengers and agricultural produce from the Jura foothills to the main line. Buses replaced it in 1937, and no physical trace remains at the station today.

Sources & attribution 10

Researched and written by the Audiala editorial team from historical records, architectural archives, and local expertise. Last updated August 2026.

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Photo credits (7)
  1. SBB Historic - F 122 00016 002 - Allaman Stationsgebaeude Bahnseite — Hans-Rudolf Berner — CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) — Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SBB_Historic_-_F_122_00016_002_-_Allaman_Stationsgebaeude_Bahnseite.jpg
  2. SBB Historic - F 122 00016 001 - Allaman Stationsgebaeude Bahnseite — Hans-Rudolf Berner — CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) — Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SBB_Historic_-_F_122_00016_001_-_Allaman_Stationsgebaeude_Bahnseite.jpg
  3. Allaman-gare-3 — MHM55 — CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) — Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Allaman-gare-3.jpg
  4. Allaman-gare-1 — MHM55 — CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) — Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Allaman-gare-1.jpg
  5. Allaman — Gonzalo Malpartida — CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/) — Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Allaman.jpg
  6. Allaman-gare-2 — MHM55 — CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) — Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Allaman-gare-2.jpg
  7. Gare d'Allaman (18.05.14) 163 — Alain Rouiller — CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/) — Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gare_d'Allaman_(18.05.14)_163.jpg

Photos may have been resized or cropped.