Uetlibergbahn

Uetlibergbahn
Uetlibergbahn at the mountain station
Timetable field :	713
Route length:	9.13 km
Gauge :	1435 mm ( standard gauge )
Power system :	1200 V  =
Maximum slope :	79  ‰
Minimum radius :	135 m
Legend -1.2 Tunnel station Zurich HB (platforms 21-22) 396 m above sea level M. Connection to the lines starting from Zurich main station Sihl tunnel 1296 m -0.2 Zurich Selnau tunnel station 398 m above sea level M. 0.0 Zurich Selnau former terminus 414 m above sea level M. Sihl Bridge Giesshübel (96 m) Connection line from Zurich Wiedikon 1.1 Zurich Giesshübel is not served by the Uetlibergbahn Sihltalbahn to Adliswil - Sihlbrugg 1.4 Zurich Binz 421 m above sea level M. 1.9 Borrweg crossing point 435 m above sea level M. 2.2 Friesenberg 446 m above sea level M. 2.6 Schweighof 459 m above sea level M. 3.2 Triemli 485 m above sea level M. 4.4 Berghof crossing point 543 m above sea level M. 5.8 Uitikon Waldegg 620 m above sea level M. 7.0 Ring icon 682 m above sea level M. 9.1 Uetliberg 813 m above sea level M.

The Uetlibergbahn ( UeB ) is a former railway company in the city of Zurich . Their assets were taken over in 1922 by a collecting society that 1973 with the Sihltalbahn the Sihltal Zurich Uetliberg Bahn merged (SZU).

With a gradient of up to 79 per thousand, the Uetlibergbahn was for a long time the steepest standard-gauge adhesion railway line in Europe . It has been integrated into the Zurich S-Bahn network as the S 10 line since 1990 and is again being marketed by the SZU under the name Uetlibergbahn . The steepest regular-gauge friction line in Europe that is used in local public transport is now the Stuttgart suburban railway line U 15 on its south branch, which rises by up to 85 per thousand.

In 2013 4.5 million passengers were carried, slightly fewer than in the previous year.

history

Steam train powered by the 3/3 coupled "Albis" tank locomotive; Year of manufacture 1875, discarded 1922

The Uetlibergbahn (UeB) was inaugurated on May 12, 1875, in the same year as the former Hotel Uetliberg . Small steam locomotives from Krauss pushed two to three two-axle passenger cars from the Selnau train station over the gradient of 70 per mille to the summit of the Zurich vantage point. The train ran on steam until 1920.

There were financial problems right from the start, the income of the railway depended exclusively on the unsafe excursion traffic. One of the steam locomotives was rented out to the Wädenswil-Einsiedeln-Bahn to make ends meet. The plans to continue the train from the provisional terminus in Selnau - at the Schanze in the old city - to the Zurich train station (today: the main train station) to pick up more tourists there failed for urban planning reasons, but above all for financial reasons.

The Sihltalbahn (SiTB) began operations in 1892 from the Giesshübel starting point in what was then the Wiedikon municipality . While the freight traffic from Giesshübel was handed over to the NOB via the connecting line to Zurich Wiedikon station , the passenger trains used the Giesshübel – Selnau UeB line, which the SZU expanded into a double-track line in 1983.

Railway operations flourished in the Belle Epoque , but the First World War did not leave the railway unaffected and the lack of tourists made themselves felt financially, despite timetable restrictions and short-term shutdowns. In October 1920 it was therefore decided to cease passenger traffic and to liquidate the company. The operation of the freight tracks in the Binz, which were created after the opening of the connecting line to Wiedikon, continued.

Zurich – Uetliberg railway company

On February 28, 1922, the Zurich – Uetliberg ( BZUe ) railway company was founded as a rescue company, with the city of Zurich as the main shareholder. In the same year, steam operation was provisionally resumed while work on the electrification began.

Laterally offset pantograph of the Uetlibergbahn

Common overhead conductor rails of the Uetlibergbahn (left) and Sihltalbahn (right) over the same track, in the tunnel at Zurich main station

electrification

Despite the shared route, the BZUe and the SiTB opted for two completely different electricity systems. At the BZUe, the main consideration was to re-track the train and - analogous to the Forchbahn  - to integrate it into the urban tram network and to extend it to the main train station. It was therefore decided to use direct current with a voltage of 1200  volts . With the SiTB, on the other hand, a full line with goods traffic and direct connection to the SBB network in Wiedikon and since 1897 to the Gotthardbahn feeder in Sihlbrugg station , there was no question that the SBB standard current ( alternating current 15 kV 16 2/3  Hz ) would use. Since the SiTB route should also be accessible by SBB vehicles (and vice versa), the contact line and thus also the pantographs of the Uetlibergbahn had to be moved laterally by 1300 mm.

Due to this peculiarity, the BZUe in Selnau station was limited to the western tracks, while the SiTB used the eastern ones. The planned change of gauge and integration into the tram network did not take place. In 1952, a trolleybus line electrified with 600 volts direct current was opened on Friesenbergstrasse , which crosses the Uetlibergbahn at the Friesenberg station at the same level.

Already with the procurement of vehicles in 1939 (box width 2.55 m instead of 2.20 m), the idea of ​​changing gauges was abandoned, and since the underground extension to Zurich main station in 1990 it has definitely not been an issue. So far, however, the Uetlibergbahn has not switched to alternating current. In September 2010, the order for six new dual-system multiple units from Stadler Rail was announced for the Uetlibergbahn, which are dual-current-capable in view of a future changeover to alternating current. In addition, the pantograph can therefore also be moved laterally. This also opens up the possibility of using the trains on the Sihl Valley Railway. These trains have been in use since 2013.

Sihltal-Zürich-Uetliberg-Bahn

Share for 100 francs in the Zurich-Uetliberg railway company from March 25, 1922 - stamped with the name change to SZU Sihltal-Zürich-Uetliberg-Bahn

Mountain station (1972)

As early as 1932, the city of Zurich handed over the operation and administration of the BZUe to the Sihltalbahn, which operated the Uetlibergbahn for over 40 years before it merged with it on January 1st, 1973. The Sihltalbahn took over the majority of shares in the Uetlibergbahn and changed its name to Sihltal-Zürich-Uetliberg-Bahn (SZU).

The merger had no effect on the operation of the railways, as by then certain vehicles that were suitable for use on both routes had been used together. The vehicle fleet for passenger transport was separated until 2013. With the merger, however, the labels on the vehicles were gradually changed, which were then uniformly written with SZU for years, but had different colors. In the 1990s, the uniform logo was reconsidered and the old names Uetlibergbahn and Sihltalbahn were reintroduced, which are now back on the vehicles in this form.

Route expansion

In view of the introduction of the Zurich S-Bahn in 1990, the SZU was extended to the main station. The “provisional” above-ground Selnau station was canceled and the area was returned to the city after 115 years. Created as an opencast tunnel in the right half of the Sihl bed - the left half is reserved for the Sihltiefstrasse (A3 / A1 city motorway) - the double-lane route under the Selnau area leads through into the Sihl tunnel, where the new Selnau station is located, and into the underground SZU station under the Shopville south of the main train station. This station was originally prepared for the Zurich underground , which failed in a referendum in 1973.

Since crossings between the overhead lines of the two power systems are to be avoided as much as possible, only trains of the Sihl Valley Railway can cross between Giesshübel and Selnau, whereas only the trains of the Uetliberg Railway can cross between Selnau and the main station.

The Uetlibergbahn is to be converted to AC operation by 2023.

Explanation of the route kilometers

The old Selnau station was kilometer zero, but the new Selnau station and the main train station are “before” this zero point. Since negative route kilometers are not common and a complete re-kilometering of the SZU was excluded, the main station was determined as kilometer 90.00. Selnau is kilometer 91.04 and kilometer 91.23 is equal to kilometer 0.00, from here the old kilometrage applies.

Rolling stock

SZU era since 1973

model series		Manufacturer	Construction year	origin	number of pieces		Discarded	SZU type	Remarks
series	Numbers				total	today
Multiple units / trains
Be 8/8	531-532	SLM / Siem.	1978		2	0	2014	Be 530
Be 4/4	521-528	SLM / STS	1992		8th	8th		Be 520
Be 552	511-516	STAG	2013-2014		6th	6th		Be 510	Dual-flow multiple units
Intermediate car
B 220	221-224	STAG	2003		4th	4th		Be 520	Low-floor intermediate car

With the acquisition of the four low-floor intermediate cars, four three-part sets were formed in 2003, each consisting of two railcars (521-528) and one intermediate car (221-224). When the six new multiple units (511-516) went into operation, the remaining vehicles were regrouped into four-part sets. The two remaining twin multiple units (531–532), which were last modernized in 2006, were transferred to the technical reserve in 2014 and finally transferred to Kaiseraugst for demolition in February 2016.

BZUe era 1922–1973

model series			Manufacturer	Construction year	origin	number of pieces		Discarded	Remarks
series	Numbers	SZU no.				total	today
Railcar
Be 2/2	01- 02	21-22	SWS / MFO	1923		4th	hist.0 1	1975	«Uetlibergtram» Ce 2/2 2 received
	03- 04							1966 (?)
BDe 4/4	11	11	SWS / MFO	1939		4th	0	1994	13/513 sold to OC , conversion to OC BDe 4/4 15 ; 14/514 spare parts dispenser
	12	12		1950				1994
	13-14	13-14		1960				2006
Control car
Bt	16	111	SWS / MFO	1950		3	0	1994	112/912 sold to OC , conversion to OC Bt 51
	17th	112		1960				2006
	18th	113		1965				2003
Bt		114	SWS	1966/1984		(At)0 1	0	2003 (?)	ex B 4 214
Passenger cars
B 2	21-22	221-222	SWS	1923		4th	0	1976-1977
	23-24							1965
B 2	41-42	223-224	SWS	1924		2	hist.0 1	2002	C 2 41 obtained
B 4	61-62	211-212	SWS	1939		5	0	1983 (around)	converted to Hack 313-314
	63	213		1950				1994
	64	214		1966				1983 (around)	converted to Bt 114
	65	215							Whereabouts unknown
Baggage cart
D.	51	151	SWS	1933		1	0	1996
Um = conversion from our own stock

original	1956	1962
Ce 2/2	Be 2/2	Be 2/2
CFe 4/4	BFe 4/4	BDe 4/4

Redrawings and modifications

With the Europe-wide transition from the three-class system to the two- class system in the 1956 summer timetable , all of the Uetlibergbahn's wagon class names changed for the first time (from C to B). Another systematic change took place in 1962 due to the change in the Swiss design designation for luggage compartments (from F to D).

Renumbering occurred in 1973 due to the merger with the BZUe to form the SZU. Passenger cars were given three-digit numbers, the SWS two-axle vehicles (21–22, 41–42) the numbers 221–224, the SWS four-axle vehicles (61–65) the numbers 211–215. The control cars (16-18) were given the three-digit numbers 111-113. Two-digit numbers were henceforth reserved for locomotives; the so-called "Uetlibergtrams" Be 2/2 were given the numbers 21 and 22 from the now free range of numbers.

Another control car (Bt 114) was built under the SZU in 1984, from the conversion of the four-axle B 214. A planned conversion of the B 215, however, was not carried out.

Scheme 1962		Scheme 1992
Be 2/2	22nd	Be 566	502
BDe 4/4	13-14	BDe 576	513-514
Be 8/8	31-32	Be 556	531-532
Be 4/4	21-28	Be 556	521-528

With the UIC-compliant numbers for locomotives and railcars based on the '92 draft , existing vehicles also received new six-digit numbers plus a check digit . At SZU, these were usually based on the two-digit vehicle number in fifth and sixth positions; before that, in third and fourth place, came the owner code 65 for the SZU. Since SZU consistently uses three-digit vehicle numbers internally, locomotives and railcars have had three-digit 500 numbers since then.

All existing control cars were systematically renumbered in 1995 and were given three-digit 900 numbers, while the control cars 112–113 became 912–913.

Discards and whereabouts

Chemin de fer Orbe – Chavornay (OC)

• BDe 576 513, sold in 2006, conversion by Stadler Winterthur : OC BDe 4/4 15 « L'Orbe »
• BDe 576 514, released in 2006, spare parts dispenser for BDe 576 513
• Bt 912, sold in 2006, conversion by Stadler Winterthur : OC Bt 51 “ La Sihl ”

"Uetlibergtram"

The 1995 restored historic composition Ce ² / ₂ 2 and B ₂ 41 was out of the Elektrifizierungsära BZÜ owned by the SZU and stood up to the timetable change in December 2008 for special trips available. Due to the compressed schedule at the time and the slow speed, the special trips were discontinued; Other uses were out of the question due to the rare combination of standard gauge line with direct current operation and the relocated pantograph in Switzerland. The Swiss Museum of Transport (VHS) then took over the set for five years, on loan from SZU from mid-2009. In July 2014, the vehicles were brought to Winterthur to the so-called warehouse area , where they were together with a luggage trolley, were converted into the stationary restaurant les WAGONS .

literature

• Hans Waldburger, Martin Gross: The Uetlibergbahn - The train on Zurich's local mountain . Minirex, Lucerne, 2008, ISBN 978-3-907014-24-0 .

Web links

• Official website of the SZU
• Uetliberg-Verein: History of the Uetlibergbahn

Individual evidence

1. ^ Stefan Hotz: Sihltal im Hoch, Üetliberg im Minus . In: Neue Zürcher Zeitung . No. 68 , March 22, 2014, p. 22 .
2. ↑ Under the Sihl to the center - 25 years of railway extension. On: SZU website, accessed on January 5, 2018.
3. ^ The long-term strategy of the Sihltal - Zurich - Uetliberg-Bahn , Swiss Railway Review, 10/2015.
4. ↑ Sihltal-Zürich-Uetliberg-Bahn - media release of September 28, 2010 (PDF; 38 kB)
5. ↑ "Uetlibergbahn is massively expanding capacity" , Tages-Anzeiger , September 28, 2010
6. ↑ les WAGONS. In: les WAGONS. Retrieved October 14, 2016 .