Blame It All On Napoleon (3)

It all started with a puzzle picture sent by No 3 Son. fbb is challenged to identify the location.

The departure screen in the gloom under the canopy is the most obvious clue ...

... which led to identifying a timetable for the "IR36" for which we have already seen an extract.

But exactly where on that route might we be?

A sign in the wooded hillside is not particularly revealing, but a banner on the fence is more helpful.

Feldschlossen (Field Castle) is the brand of a popular beer in Switzerland; brewed at Rheinfelden. Not yet 100% conclusive proof of location but ...

... the impressive "chateau" in the background might be featured in collections of pictures of Rheinfelden - and bingo! they are. This impressive pile is the brewery (now owned by Carlsberg) at Rheinfelden whereat the golden nectar of Feldschlossen is brewed.

Always ready to encourage his father's fixation on blog-writing, No3 Son also appended a picture of a bus ...

... and its associated bus stop.

There is a departure list for route 7312 and a network diagram.

No 3 son was at the Untere Marktgasse stop ...

This is the last stop before the bridge across the Rhein (picture below, stop in shadow bottom right).

Although Switzerland is part of Europe, part of the Schengen Community with unimpeded travel across borders, the Rheinfelden (Switzerland) map expires once the river is crossed.

Ooer, the 7312 goes to Rheinfelden (D) OR Rheinfelden Baden OR Deutschland - WHERE BE DRAGONS!

The bridge, by the way, is traffic free apart from the 7312!

That's the route shown in grey on the diagram but with red buses operated by German Railways (Deutsche Bahn); we shall explore the 7312 timetable in a later blog.

Be afraid, be very afraid!

The yellow lines are, in part, explained at the bottom of the bus stop poster.

They are operated by the Swiss Post Bus organisation ...

... and are "normal" bus services. 

the "area code" (50) is not shown on the buses, but note that the Rheinfeld town service 7312 appears in the Swiss Timetable files at 50.087!

The 85 is a summary table for local journeys within Rheinfelden and the 86 is, effectively, a local bus route.

The 100 travels further (to Buus on a bus!) ...

... and, in typical Swiss fashion, shows all sorts of connections. Again, following Swiss normality, all buses leave from outside the station so integrated journeys are always straightforward.

Swiss Post Bus has been in a "bit of bother" recently with the resignation of their CEO after revelations and accusations of corruption and falsification of finances.

In a statement issued back in June, Suzanne Ruoff said she took responsibility for the activities involving the irregularities in connection with federal and cantonal subsidies.

However, she said she had been unaware of the irregularities which had already occurred before her time as the head of the Swiss Post and had relied on internal and external controls.

As the CEO of Switzerland’s third-largest company, however, she “naturally assumed overall responsibility” Ruoff said.

In addition to the post’s ongoing internal investigation into the matter, administrative criminal proceedings have been opened in connection with subsidiary company’s financial irregularities.

Ruoff and Swiss Post have been under intense scrutiny since a Transport Office audit last year discovered that PostBus – known for its alpine network of yellow commuter buses – had manipulated accounts between 2007 and 2015 to pocket millions in federal and cantonal subsidies.

Before we return to the 7312 (or 50.087) next week, we must catch up on Stagecoach's publicity for their newly acquired service 65 between Buxton and Sheffield.

 Next Buxton blog : Saturday 28th July