Zürich S-Bahn: Information from Answers.com

S-Bahn Zürich

Network	Zürcher Verkehrsverbund
Lines	26 ^[1]
Track Length	380 km (236.1 mi) ^[2]
Stations	171 ^[2]
Passengers/Day	331 625 (2006) ^[1]
Operators	SBB, Thurbo, SZU, SOB, FB, BDWM
Carriages	DPZ Re 450, DTZ RABe 514, RABDe 12/12, RBe 540

Double decker train near Andelfingen (August 2006)

A train from the Zürich S-Bahn (Summer 2002 image)

The Zürich S-Bahn (German: S-Bahn Zürich) system is a network of rail lines within the ZVV area (geographically, within the entire canton of Zürich, portions of the cantons Aargau, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Thurgau and St. Gallen, all in Switzerland.

The entire ZVV S-Bahn network went into operation in May 1990, although many of the lines were present beforehand.

The S-Bahn network is numbered, but numbering is rather sporadic, with several missing lines (e.g. S19, S20). The lines are numbered from the S2 to the S43.

1 Current lines in operation
- 1.1 Previous lines in operation
2 History
3 Current and future works
4 References
5 Notes
6 External links

Current lines in operation

S2 Effretikon - Zürich Airport - Zürich HB - Ziegelbrücke

Between Pfäffikon SZ and Zürich Enge the S2 only stops in Richterswil, Wädenswil, Horgen and Thalwil

Previous lines in operation

S1 was the old number of line S21. It was renamed after the opening of the S1 line of the Lucerne-Zug network to avoid confusion.
An S31 used to exist. It used to run at least across the Seedamm, between Rapperswil and Pfäffikon SZ.
S43 ran between Rüti and Wald (near Rapperswil) and had only three stations and was in fact a limited service of S43. It has been replaced by a bus route.

Projected future lines: Several lines are projected with the opening of the 3rd underground station at Zurich HB (2013). Map

History

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 coast of Lake Zurich, popularly known as the Gold Coast. It operated a regular schedule every half hour, with the time for its full length reduced from the previous 60 to 40 minutes. After World War II, the commuting to Zurich rapidly expanded from the former wine-growing villages along the railway line, which opened in 1894. As a result commuters complained that the trains were over-crowded, slow and often delayed.^[3]

The canton of Zurich began to develop a project for improving the 36-kilometer-long railway in the 1950s. Because it was not used by either long-distance passenger or freight trains, improvements for 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.^[3]

The most striking feature of the was the three-car claret-coloured RABDe 12/12 electric multiple units. These had good acceleration and braking performance and became known immediately as "Mirages" after the jet fighters. The modern features available on the Mirages included automatically closing doors, which allowed short stops at stations and a reduction of travel time.^[3]

U-bahn rejected

Map of the 1970s proposal for a combine U-Bahn and S-Bahn

On 30 May 1959 some voters put two proposals to the Zürich City Council. The first would have allocated CHF 200,000 for the preparation of a study on the construction of a two-line U-bahn (underground railway) with lines from Enge to Kloten and 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 studied such a proposal and opposed on the basis that Zurich was not big enough for an underground railway, and it would cost too much.^[4] At a referendum on 14 February 1960 69.8% of voters voted "no" to the proposal.^[5]

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 (that is a suburban network based on the existing rail system) project. From Zürich Airport, a U-Bahn line would run via Glattbrugg, Oerlikon, Hirschenwiesen, Central, Zürich 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 by 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.^[6] On 20 May 1973 the proposed package U-Bahn and S-Bahn proposal was rejected at a referendum with the "no" vote as high as the previous referendum.^[7] At the referendum, little opposition had been expressed against the proposed S-Bahn lines.^[8]

Coordination and construction of the S-Bahn

The original eastern option, which is now the current route of the S-Bahn under the Zürichberg

Rail is a major element in Zürich's public transport system and its upgrade required a close collaboration between the Canton of Zürich 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 Zürich could not fund an alternative transport network.^[9]

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 on Canton Council on 19 June 1978. There was a debate on "eastern" and "western" options. Under the western option the northern end of the central tunnel from the main station would have connected with Oerlikon, while the eastern option it would have tunneled under the Zürichberg and ended near Dietlikon. The Canton Council chose the eastern option by 85 votes to 36.^[10]

At a referendum on 29 November 1981 Zürich'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 in Dietlikon and Dübendorf. A new underground station was built under the existing central station with four tracks (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.

Opening and expansion

On 27 May 1990, the S-Bahn was brought into operation and the Zürcher Verkehrsverbund (Zürich Transport Network) began operations. For the first time, it was possible to travel on trains, buses and trams with the one ticket. Depite "teething problems", passenger numbers increased rapidly. Since the opening of the S-Bahn travel volumes have now increased by about 60 percent. In several stages, S-Bahn services were expanded to cover a 380 kilometers rail network, and peak hour express trains were added.

The first stage of the expansion dealt with the chronically overcrowded trains on the S12 route between Dietikon and Zürich made improvements in the Limmat valley necessary. The expansion of the railway to four lines 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 quarter of an hour on the route. At the same time the sections on the S9 route via Knonau were upgraded to allow services to be increased to each half hour. Services on the north side of Lake Zürich 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.

Uner the third stage expansion completed in 2007, the S-Bahn network was further expanded. 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 Zürich 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.

Current and future works

Second through line via the Weinberg Tunnel

Following a successful referendum a project is now under construction consisting of a second underground station under the Zürich 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.

When it is completed a fourth stage of the expansion of the S-Bahn will be implemented:

Services on the south bank of Lake Zürich (from Pfäffikon, Schwyz and Thalwil) to Oerlikon or the airport will no longer reverse in the Zurich main station but instead use the new Löwenstrasse station.
The line from Stadelhofen to Zurich main station (Museumstrasse station) and Oerlikon is now congested. The routes from the Limmat valley (Wettingen, Killwangen-Spreitenbach, Dietikon) will use the Löwenstrasse station and continue to Oerlikon.
Between Stadelhofen and Winterthur services will operate every quarter of an hour.
Long-distance trains between west and east Switzerland (Geneva-Zürich-St. Gallen) will operate through the Löwenstrasse station and the Weinberg Tunnel with reduced travel times of up to 30 minutes because they will avoid reversal and the new route will allow the introduction of new and faster double-decker trains.

Further improvements are envisaged, including two additional tracks at Oerlikon railway station, a passing loop in Pfäffikon and adjustments and 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 the S-Bahn.

References

Robert, Fechtig; Max Glättli (1990) (in German). Projektierung und Bau der S-Bahn Zürich (Planning and Constrcution of the Zürich S-Bahn). Zürich: Stäubli Verlag. ISBN 3-7266-0021-3.
Künzi, Hans (1998) (in German). Zürichs öffentlicher Verkehr und seine S-Bahn (Zürich's public transport and its S-Bahn). Zürich: Gelehrte Gesellschaft. ISBN 3-906262-10-3.
Hobmeier, Norbert (1990) (in German). Die S-Bahn Zürich (The Zürich S-Bahn). Zürich: Orell Füssli. ISBN 3-280-01763-7.

Notes

^ ^a ^b [1] ZVV Geschäftsbericht 2006
^ ^a ^b S-Bahn Zürich. Daten und Fakten. SBB Division Personenverkehr, 2003 (Broschüre)
^ ^a ^b ^c "Die Geburtsstunde der Zürcher S-Bahn (The birth of the Zurich S-Bahn)" (in German). NZZ Online. 26 May 2008. http://www.nzz.ch/nachrichten/kultur/aktuell/die_geburtsstunde_der_zuercher_s-bahn_1.742622.html. Retrieved 2 August 2009.
^ Künzi (1998) p. 25 ff
^ (in German). Neue Zürcher Zeitung. 15 February 1960. p. 5.
^ Künzi (1998) p. 44 ff
^ (in German). Neue Zürcher Zeitung. 21 May 1973. p. 25.
^ Hobmeier (1990) p. 12
^ Fechtig and Glättli (1990), p. 15
^ Hobmeier (1990) p. 12

External links

Media related to S-Bahn Zürich at Wikimedia Commons
ZVV official website: Routes & zones

v • d • e S-Bahn systems in Switzerland

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Zürich S-Bahn

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