| S-Bahn Zürich | |
|---|---|
| Network | Zürcher Verkehrsverbund |
| Lines | 26 [1] |
| Track Length | 380 km (236.1 mi) [2] |
| Stations | 171 [2] |
| Passengers/Day | 382 526 (2008) [1] |
| Operators | SBB, Thurbo, SZU, SOB, FB, BDWM |
| Carriages | DPZ Re 450, DTZ RABe 514, RABDe 12/12, RBe 540 |
The Zurich S-Bahn (German: S-Bahn Zürich) system is a network of rapid transit rail lines that has been incrementally expanded to cover the ZVV area, which comprises the entire canton of Zurich and portions of neighboring cantons (Aargau, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Thurgau and St. Gallen), with a few lines extending into Germany.
The entire ZVV S-Bahn network went into operation in May 1990, although many of the lines were already in operation.
The lines of the S-Bahn network are numbered from S2 to S55, but the numbering is rather sporadic, with several missing numbers (e.g. S19, S20).
Unusual among rapid transit services, the Zürich S-Bahn provides first class commuter travel; about one-fifth of seats on each train are first class.[3]
Contents |
S 2 Effretikon - Zurich Airport - Zürich HB - Ziegelbrücke
S 3 Aarau - Lenzburg - Dietikon - Zürich HB - Effretikon - Wetzikon
S 4 Zürich HB - Adliswil - Sihlwald
S 5 Niederweningen/Rafz - Oberglatt - Zürich HB - Uster - Wetzikon - Rüti ZH - Jona - Rapperswil - Seedamm - Pfäffikon SZ
S 6 Baden - Regensdorf - Zürich HB - Uetikon
S 7 Winterthur - Kloten - Zürich HB - Meilen - Kempraten - Rapperswil
S 8 Weinfelden - Frauenfeld - Winterthur - Wallisellen - Zürich HB - Pfäffikon SZ
S 9 Zug - Affoltern am Albis - Zürich HB - Uster
S 12 Brugg - Zürich HB - Winterthur - Seuzach/Winterthur Seen
S 14 Zürich HB - Oerlikon - Uster - Wetzikon - Hinwil
S 15 Affoltern am Albis - Zürich HB - Uster - Rapperswil
S 16 Thayngen - Schaffhausen - Winterthur - Zurich Airport - Zürich HB - Herrliberg-Feldmeilen - (-Meilen)
S 17 Dietikon - Bremgarten AG - Wohlen AG
S 18 Zürich Stadelhofen - Forch - Esslingen
S 21 (Zürich HB -) Thalwil - Zug
S 22 Bülach - Schaffhausen - Singen (Hohentwiel)
S 24 Zürich HB - Thalwil - Horgen Oberdorf
S 26 Winterthur - Bauma - Rapperswil
S 29 Winterthur - Stein am Rhein
S 30 Winterthur - Frauenfeld - Weinfelden (-Romanshorn - Rorschach)
S 33 Winterthur - Andelfingen - Schaffhausen
S 40 Rapperswil - Pfäffikon SZ - Samstagern - Einsiedeln
S 41 Winterthur - Bülach - Bad Zurzach - Waldshut
S 55 Niederweningen - Oberglatt
Projected future lines: Several new lines are projected to open along with the third underground station at Zurich HB (2013). Map
The first step in developing Zurich's rail system which eventually led to the establishment of the S-Bahn was the establishment of the so-called Gold Coast Express (German: Goldküstenexpress) on 26 May 1968 between Zürich Stadelhofen and Rapperswil via Meilen along the wealthy north shore of Lake Zurich, popularly known as the Gold Coast. It operated a regular schedule every half hour, with the total journey time for the distance of 36 km reduced from the previous 60 to 40 minutes. After World War II, there was a rapid expansion of commuting to Zurich from the former wine-growing villages along the railway line, which originally opened in 1894. As a result commuters complained that the trains were overcrowded, slow and often delayed.[4]
The canton of Zurich began to develop a project to improve the railway in the 1950s. Because it was not used by either long-distance passenger or freight trains, improvements in local services were possible. Double track sections were built between Kuesnacht and Herrliberg and between Stäfa and Uerikon, along with new stations. The main problem was finance. Development of the line would only serve local interests and would not lead to increased revenue for Swiss Federal Railways (SFR). At the time the canton and cities affected could not fund improvements to an SFR line, so the law was changed to allow local contributions.[4]
The most striking feature of the improved railway was the three-car claret-coloured RABDe 12/12 electric multiple units. These had good acceleration and braking performance and immediately became known as "Mirages", after the jet fighters. The modern features of the Mirages included automatically closing doors, which allowed short stops at stations and a reduction in travel time.[4]
On 30 May 1959 some voters put two proposals to the Zurich City Council. The first would have allocated CHF 200,000 for a study on the construction of a two-line U-bahn (underground railway) with lines from Enge to Kloten and from Altstetten to Tiefenbrunnen; but it was opposed by the majority of the City Council and failed. The second motion proposed the establishment of a company to build and operate a Zurich U-Bahn. The city had already considered such a proposal and opposed it, on the basis that Zurich was not big enough for an underground railway, and it would cost too much.[5] In a referendum on 14 February 1960, 69.8% of voters voted "no" to the proposal.[6]
Following further work and the enactment of a new transport act, the regional public transport authorities presented a new proposal for a combined regional U-Bahn and S-Bahn system (that is, a suburban network based on the existing rail system) . From Zurich Airport, an U-Bahn line would run via Glattbrugg, Oerlikon, Hirschenwiesen, Central, Zurich Main Station, Stauffacher and Altstetten to Dietikon. Much of the line would have run above ground. The second part of the proposal was the "Zürichberg network", a line from Zurich main station via a new tunnel under the Zürichberg to Dietlikon. The proposed construction of an underground station in Museumstrasse on the north side of the main station was intended to ease the pressure on the main station.[7] On 20 May 1973 this proposal was rejected in a referendum, with the "no" vote as high as in the previous referendum.[8] At the referendum, little opposition had been expressed against the proposed S-Bahn lines.[9]
Rail is a major element in Zurich's public transport system, and its upgrade required close collaboration between the Canton of Zurich and Swiss Federal Railways (SBB), the owner of most of the railways. The SBB had insufficient resources for a substantial upgrade of commuter services. On the other hand, the canton of Zurich could not fund an alternative transport network.[10]
The first step towards cooperation came in 1978 with the establishment of a Transport Fund providing CHF 40 million annually for urban transport. The routes of today's S-Bahn were established in a debate in the cantonal Council on 19 June 1978. Alternative "eastern" and "western" options were discussed. Under the western option the northern end of the central tunnel from the main station would have connected with Oerlikon, while in the eastern option it would have tunneled under the Zürichberg and ended near Dietlikon. The cantonal Council chose the eastern option by 85 votes to 36.[9]
At a referendum on 29 November 1981, Zurich's voters approved by a two-thirds majority a loan of CHF 520 million for the construction of the core of the S-Bahn. The new route runs from the main station through the Hirschengraben tunnel to Stadelhofen, where the line branches off to Tiefenbrunnen, and continues through the Zürichberg Tunnel to Stettbach (new underground station) with a connection to the existing rail lines at Dietlikon and Dübendorf. A new underground station with four tracks was built under the existing central station (also known as the Museumstrasse station). The Stadelhofen station was transformed into an architecture award-winning station. Approach lines were also built to allow trains to run towards Altstetten. Simultaneously with the construction of the S-Bahn core line the Sihltal Zürich Uetliberg Bahn was extended from its former terminal station at Selnau to the main station.
On 27 May 1990, the S-Bahn was brought into operation and the Zürcher Verkehrsverbund (Zurich Transport Network) began operations. For the first time, one could travel on trains, buses and trams with just one ticket. Despite "teething problems", passenger numbers increased rapidly. Since the opening of the S-Bahn, travel volumes have increased by about 60%. In several stages, S-Bahn services were expanded to a 380 km rail network, and peak hour express trains were added.
The first stage of the expansion addressed the chronic overcrowding of trains on the S12 route between Dietikon and Zurich, requiring improvements in the Limmat valley. The widening of the railway to four tracks between Dietikon and Killwangen allowed the separation of the S-Bahn from the long-distance and freight services. The new S3 service introduced as a result complemented the S12 service, to provide a train every 15 minutes on the route. At the same time the sections of the S9 route via Knonau were upgraded to allow services to be increased to each half hour. Services on the north side of Lake Zurich were increased with trains provided every 15 minutes by S6, S7 and S16 services. A new station was opened at Glanzberg between Dietikon and Schlieren.
Under the second stage of expansion in December 2002, night trains were added to the S-Bahn. Since 2007, night trains provide a continuous 24 hour service from Friday morning until Sunday evening on some lines.
The third stage expansion was completed in 2007. On 12 December 2004 (coinciding with the completion of the first stage of Rail 2000), the S3 service was extended from Dietikon through the Heitersberg Tunnel to Aarau with a new station at Mellingen. On 10 December 2006, S15 was opened between Rapperswil and Birmensdorf following line improvements. It was extended from Birmensdorf to Affoltern am Albis on 9 December 2007. South of Zurich sections of the Sihltalbahn were doubled. On the rural feeder lines around Winterthur (S33 to Schaffhausen, S35 to Wil and S41 to Bülach) services were increased to run every half hour. The S8 was extended from Winterthur to Weinfelden, providing with the existing S30 services two trains an hour on the line. In addition, the S16 was extended every hour to Schaffhausen, stopping after Winterthur only at Andelfingen and Neuhausen am Rheinfall. Moreover, on the line from Winterthur to Wil a new station opened at Winterthur Hegi.
Following a successful referendum a project is now under construction consisting of a second underground station under the Zurich station—also known as the Löwenstrasse station—and the Weinberg Tunnel to Oerlikon for the use of both long-distance and S-Bahn trains. The new works are planned to be completed between 2013 to 2015; breakthrough was achieved on the Weinberg tunnel in November 2010.[11]
When it is completed a fourth stage of the expansion of the S-Bahn will be implemented:
Further improvements are envisaged, including two additional tracks at Oerlikon railway station, a passing loop in Pfäffikon and adjustments at various stations. Further improvements in the corridor between the airport and Winterthur are being developed as part of the second stage of Rail 2000 for long-distance trains, which would require further adjustments for the S-Bahn.
Media related to [//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:S-Bahn_Z%C3%BCrich S-Bahn Zürich] at Wikimedia Commons
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