European Railroad Discussion > Trains Come and Trains Go, Zurich

Losts of work has been compoeted in and around the Zurich station.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/20/24 17:45 by edsaalig.

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Care to name any of these trains?

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edsaalig Wrote:
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> Care to name any of these trains?

If you mean what type of locomotive or electric multiple unit, here goes:

(1) Class RABDe 501 "Giruno" 11-car articulated EMU

(2) Class RABDe 502 EMU (could be 4-car or 8-car)

(3) Class Re 460 locomotives (built 1991-96 and now being refurbished at mid-life)

(4) Class Re 420 locomotive (built over a long span from 1964 to 1985)

(5) Class Re 450 locomotive with fixed-formation three-car train with driving cab at far end of train. These are unusual for Europe in having only one cab in the locomotive itself, but since they stay in a fixed-formation, there's no need for a second cab. These are unique to the Zurich S-Bahn system, with the exception of two small fleets which have them classified as Class Re 456.

(6) Class Re 460 locomotive and Class RABDe 500 ICN seven-car tilting EMU.

(7) Class RABDe 511 bilevel EMU.

The letters used in the classification system have the following meanings:

R -- maximum speed of more than 110 km/h.
A -- first-class accommodation
B -- second-class accommodation
D -- baggage compartment
e -- electric powered
 

I understand Zurich also has underground rail service in a semi-circle so that trains can continue moving vs stub end tracks.  
jb

boejoe Wrote:
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> I understand Zurich also has underground rail
> service in a semi-circle so that trains can
> continue moving vs stub end tracks.  
> jb

What the Hauptbahnhof has are two separate run-through stations that are underground (platforms 31-34 and 41-44). Trains can use those in both directions. In both cases, the exit to the east is in tunnel, and one of those tunnels (serving 31-34) forms a horseshoe curve. It's 4.8 km long and its end-to-end shape is effectively an S.

There's also a third undergound station that is stub-end (platforms 21-22), which serves a local railway with two routes (Sihltalbahn and Uetlibergbahn).

The surface stub-end platforms are 3-18.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/20/24 23:24 by railsmith.

Watch it live:

https://www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/schweiz/canton-zurigo/zurich/train-station.html

You can also see the previous 12 hours using this link.

railsmith Wrote:
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> (5) Class Re 450 locomotive with fixed-formation
> three-car train with driving cab at far end of
> train. These are unusual for Europe in having only
> one cab in the locomotive itself, but since they
> stay in a fixed-formation, there's no need for a
> second cab. These are unique to the Zurich S-Bahn
> system, with the exception of two small fleets
> which have them classified as Class Re 456.

The SZU have two [ ex-SBB ] 450 sets -- who has the other small fleet ?

I hope that the "real" 456 class locos are all still active, or at least the SZU / BT-SOB ones.

Best, SZ
 

Steinzeit2 Wrote:
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> railsmith Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > (5) Class Re 450 locomotive with
> fixed-formation
> > three-car train with driving cab at far end of
> > train. These are unusual for Europe in having
> only
> > one cab in the locomotive itself, but since
> they
> > stay in a fixed-formation, there's no need for
> a
> > second cab. These are unique to the Zurich
> S-Bahn
> > system, with the exception of two small fleets
> > which have them classified as Class Re 456.
>
> The SZU have two [ ex-SBB ] 450 sets -- who has
> the other small fleet ?
>
> I hope that the "real" 456 class locos are all
> still active, or at least the SZU / BT-SOB ones.

The other small fleet of six was with Sudostbahn (456 091-096), the "real ones" with cabs at both ends. My source was the Platform 5 Swiss Railways Handbook published in 2016, but a bit of googling shows that to be out of date. SOB retired its six in 2021 after they were displaced by the Voralpen Express FLIRTS.

As for the SZU, I rode behind 456 544 last October. My Handbook shows this to be an old number (with the new number being 456 105) but that was the visible marking.

The Handbook also says BLS had two at time of publication (ex Regionalverkehr Mittelland).