Chur railway station

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Chur
Trains at Chur station.
Location
Address Bahnhofplatz 1-2
7000 Chur
Municipality Chur
District Plessur
Canton Graubünden
Country Switzerland
Coordinates 46°51′11″N 09°31′45″E / 46.85306°N 9.52917°E / 46.85306; 9.52917Coordinates: 46°51′11″N 09°31′45″E / 46.85306°N 9.52917°E / 46.85306; 9.52917
Line(s) Zürich HB - Chur
Landquart - Thusis / Disentis/Muster
Chur - Arosa
Distance 13.68 km (8.50 mi)
from Landquart
Elevation 584 m (1,916 ft)
Other information
Opened 30 June 1858 (1858-06-30)
Platforms 12
Line ops SBB-CFF-FFS
Rhaetian Railway
Connections
Chur S-Bahn
Postauto
Local buses
Location map
Chur as shown on the Rhaetian Railway network.

Chur railway station serves the city of Chur, capital of the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. Opened in 1858, it is the most important railway junction in Graubünden.

The station is the terminus of the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB-CFF-FFS) standard gauge main line from Zürich to Chur, and is also one of the most important stations on the Rhaetian Railway (RhB) metre gauge network.

SBB Intercity, Regio Express and Regional services stop at the station, alongside Rhaetian Railway Regio Express and Regional services. There are SBB trains to Landquart, and then stations to Zürich (and beyond) and Rhaetian Railway services to many destinations in Graubünden. The Glacier Express also calls and reverses at Chur.

History and development

1850-1895

Planning for a station at Chur began in 1850. After heated debate, the station was built at its present site, just outside the city limits. At that time, the station was designed to be a terminus of the Rheineck–Chur railway. It was opened on 30 June 1858 (1858-06-30).

The first operator of the station was the United Swiss Railways. Initially, only a temporary wooden goods shed was constructed as a station building. However, as early as 1860 work was completed on a station building still visible today in modified form. In 1876, that building was moved to a new location on the Gürtelstrasse, where it has remained ever since.

In light of continuing increases in tourism in the area, a new station building became desirable, and was completed on 1 November 1878. That station building still exists today, but over the years has had to endure several modifications.

1896-1985

In 1896, the Rhaetian Railway opened a narrow gauge line between Landquart and Thusis. The first 13.68 kilometres (8.50 mi) of that line ran parallel with the already well established standard gauge line between Landquart and Chur.

Due to a ruling by the Swiss Federal Council, the Rhaetian Railway was forced to abandon plans for a railway station of its own in Chur, and, instead, had to integrate itself into the existing United Swiss Railways station.

In 1903, the Albula Railway was opened, making necessary another expansion of Chur station. In 1914, traffic at the station increased even further, with the opening of the Chur–Arosa railway. Between 1926 and 1928, following yet another sharp increase in traffic, the station was completely rebuilt. As part of the late 1920s renovation, the number of tracks was increased, new bridges were built, and the track layout was simplified. Simultaneously, buildings from earlier times were refurbished, and new buildings were erected.

1985-present

Today, the station is located in the centre of the Chur metropolitan area, and forms the transition between the old and new towns.

Bus terminal, on the upper level
Chur station platforms

The most striking of the station's buildings is now the roof over the Postauto bus station, which is located above the station platforms.

In 1986, the architects Richard Brosi and Robert Obrist won first prize in a competition for the design of the bus station, including its roof. Their idea was to create an airy concourse, and the structure built to their design was completed in 1993.

Comprehensive redevelopment of the station began in 2000. The complete redesign of the station was a joint project of the SBB-CFF-FFS, the Rhaetian Railway and the city of Chur. As part of the redevelopment, a new pedestrian underpass was opened in 2003. By 2006, the underpass had been expanded to the south. As a connection to the southern end of the underpass, a new shopping mall was opened. Meanwhile, the height of the platforms was raised to Switzerland's usual height of 55 cm, and the platform roofs were renewed.

The old station building, which was called Belle Epoque, was completely renovated in a project completed in 2007. Between the tracks of the SBB and the tracks of the Rhaetian Railwa's Chur-Arosa line is now a new office and retail building.

The new terminal of the Chur bus station was moved closer to the railway station and today has a direct connection to the underground shopping arcade. Also, the Bahnhofplatz in front of the station was extensively renovated in 2007.

Platforms

Platforms 1, 2, and 10-14 are for RhB trains, whilst platforms 4, 5 and 7-9 are for SBB trains. Platform 3 is not in passenger use and the two tracks adjacent to it are used to stable RhB rolling stock.

Arosabahn

Chur is also the lower terminus of the Chur-Arosa line (the Arosabahn) and services along that line to Arosa. The Chur-Arosa line has its own dedicated platforms (numbers 1 & 2) at the front of Chur station, on Bahnhofplatz.

Hourly passenger services operate on the Arosa line (service "R4" on the Rhaetian network) to the town and resort of Arosa, calling at a number of places between. The route is shown as timetable 930 in the Swiss national timetables.[1]

SBB-CFF-FFS services


Preceding station   EuroCity   Following station
Landquart
 Vauban
( operates in Switzerland as IR )
 Terminus
Landquart
 Rätia Terminus

Rhaetian Railway services

  • RE1/R11 - 1tph
  • RE3/R31 - 1tph
  • R4 - 1tph
  • S8 - 1tph
  • S9 - 1tph
Preceding station   Rhätische Bahn   Following station
toward St. Moritz
 RE1
RE940		 Terminus
toward St. Moritz
toward Disentis/Muster
 RE3
RE910/RE920
toward Scuol-Tarasp
toward Disentis/Muster
toward Arosa
 R4
R930		 Terminus
toward St. Moritz
 R11

R940

Limited service		 Terminus
toward Disentis/Muster
 R31

R910/R920

Limited service
toward Landquart
toward Rhäzüns
 S1
S-Bahn
toward Schiers
toward Thusis
 S2
S-Bahn		 Terminus
[2]

Bus stations

The bus station on Bahnhofplatz

The station serves as a major bus terminal for local and Postauto bus services.

Postauto buses use the large, covered bus station above the station platforms.

Local (Stadtbus) services call at a bus station on Bahnhofplatz, adjacent to the Arosa line platforms.

Other stations in Chur

There are three other railway stations in Chur:

References

  1. ↑ Timetable 930: Chur-Arosa-Chur
  2. ↑ Rhaetian Railway network

Images

  • The substantial railway sidings, alongside the main running lines, to the west of the station

  • Station upper level

  • Platforms 1 & 2 (for the Arosa service, R4)

  • Rhaetian Railway "Crocodile" at Chur station

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chur railway station.
  • SBB Chur station information
    • SBB Chur station plan/diagram
  • Rhaetian Railway
  • SBB Next departures from Chur, including bus departures


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