Rapperswil–Ziegelbrücke railway line

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Rapperswil–Ziegelbrücke
standard gauge
Electrification15 kV/16.7 Hz AC overhead catenary
Route map

Legend
km
elev
SOB to Pfäffikon SZ VAE
59.35
 Rapperswil ↓S4 S6 S17
408.6
SBB to Zürich via Meilen
SBB to Zürich via Uster
57.34
 Blumenau
413.8
Jona
54.42
 Bollingen
(closed in 2004)
409.5
49.33
 Schmerikon
408.1
Schmerikoner Aa
A15
Ernetschwilerbach
46.33
 Uznach
410.3
SBB to Wattwil VAE S4
Steinenbach bridge
43.39
 Benken
415.9
37.10
 Schänis
420.2
SBB to Zürich via Pfäffikon SZ
34.32
 Ziegelbrücke
425.0
SBB to Linthal S6
SBB to Chur S17
Source: Swiss railway atlas[1]
This diagram:

The Rapperswil–Ziegelbrücke railway line is a single-track standard-gauge railway line in Switzerland. It was built as part of the route from Rüti to Glarus, which was opened by the United Swiss Railways (German: Vereinigte Schweizerbahnen, VSB) on 15 February 1859.

History

The line was built as an extension of the

Lake Zürich left-bank railway, which runs from Zürich to Näfels via Pfäffikon and Ziegelbrücke. As a result, the Rapperswil–Ziegelbrücke line was never duplicated. It experienced increased use Between Rapperswil and Uznach with the opening of the Uznach–Wattwil railway
on 1 October 1910.

The route between Rapperswil and Uznach was electrified in connection with a train accident in the Ricken tunnel on the Uznach–Wattwil railway on 4 October 1926 that led to the death nine people as a result of suffocation from carbon monoxide poisoning. Electrification of the line was completed on 7 May 1927 at 15 kV AC 162/3 Hz. Electrification of the line between Uznach and Ziegelbrücke (continuing to Linthal) followed on 15 May 1933.

The route between Uznach and

dual track. Construction began in summer 2021. With the timetable change on 10 December 2023, the new double-track was officially opened, which allowed for more frequented traffic between Rapperswil and Uznach (four trains per hour and direction).[2][3]

Route

The line follows the right bank of the Obersee at the upper end of Lake Zurich from Rapperswil to near Schmerikon. It continues to the east and turns to the southwest after Uznach station towards Benken and runs east around the Benken hillock and then to the south-southwest in a straight line via the Gastermatt to Schänis and on to Ziegelbrücke. The line has no major engineering structures.

Bollingen station between Wurmsbach Abbey and the village of Bollingen, near Stafel, was closed and replaced as stop for scheduled trains at the 2004 timetable change by the halt of Blumenau, which had been refurbished in the 1980s.

Operations

The whole line is served by the

Voralpen-Express. Both of these services do not call at stations between Rapperswil and Uznach.[4] Until the timetable change on 10 December 2023, the section between Uznach and Rapperswil was used only be the S6 and Voralpen-Express, with combined half-hourly service. The Voralpen-Express also called at Schmerikon, while Blumenau was only served by the S6.[5]

Freight trains have not generally used the line since 2006, when Uznach was closed for freight traffic. However, the line is regularly used for nocturnal diversions for work on the Pfäffikon–Lachen–Ziegelbrücke line.

Rolling stock

The regional service between Rapperswil and Linthal was operated for decades after the electrification with fir green trains, which were hauled by Ae 3/6 I and Ae 4/7 locomotives. These were replaced in the late 1980s and early 1990s by Neuer Pendelzug (new push-pull trains, NPZ) RBDe 4/4 sets, which are nicknamed "Hummingbirds" because of their colourful paintwork. The rolling stock now consists only of NPZ "Domino 3" push-pull trains, which are coupled in the rush hour to form 6-car sets.

Notes

  1. ISBN 978-3-89494-130-7
    .
  2. ^ "Ausbauten Obersee und Doppelspur Uznach–Schmerikon". SBB.ch (in German). 2021-05-04. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
  3. ^ "Mehr Züge nach Rapperswil und neue Liniennummern: So verkehren die Züge künftig am Obersee". Schweizerische Südostbahn AG (SOB) (in German). 2023-05-04. Retrieved 2023-12-16.
  4. ^ "735: Rapperswil–Ziegelbrücke" (PDF) (in German). Official Swiss Railway Timetable. 2023-09-15. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  5. ^ "735: Rapperswil–Ziegelbrücke" (PDF) (in German). Official Swiss Railway Timetable. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 January 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2019.

References

  • Wägli, Hans G. (1998). Schienennetz Schweiz (in German). Zürich: AS Verlag.
    ISBN 3-905111-21-7
    .

External links

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