Effretikon – Hinwil railway line
| Effretikon – Hinwil | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Timetable field : | 753 Effretikon – Wetzikon 740 Wetzikon – Hinwil |
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| Route length: | 22.5 km | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gauge : | 1435 mm ( standard gauge ) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Power system : | 15 kV 16.7 Hz ~ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Effretikon – Hinwil railway in the canton of Zurich in Switzerland was put into operation in 1876 by the Effretikon – Pfäffikon – Hinwiel EH railway company. The 22.124 km long railway line runs from Effretikon via Wetzikon to Hinwil and is also known as the Kempttalbahn . The Effretikon-Pfäffikon-Hinwil Railway is also often used. Due to the old spelling of the localities - Hinwil as Hinwiel and Hinwyl as well as Kempttal as Kemptthal - different spellings of the name are in circulation.
history
Emergence
On November 8, 1865, a meeting took place in Pfäffikon. A railway committee was set up to build a railway from Effretikon via Illnau, Fehraltorf , Pfäffikon , Kempten , Hinwil and Dürnten to Wald ; in Hinwil a branch to Bubikon was planned.
The initiative committee included:
- Cantonal Councilor Bietenholz, from Pfäffikon (* 1831, † 1900)
- Governor Frick, from Pfäffikon (* 1828, † 1885)
- Court clerk Hasler, from Pfäffikon (* 1814, † 1873)
- Court president Strehler, from Pfäffikon (* 1817, † 1874)
- Forester Wilhelm Friedrich Hertenstein , from Fehraltorf (* 1825, † 1888)
- Court clerk Meili, from Hinwil (* 1816, † 1878), later president of the railway company
At that time, the Zurich – Winterthur and Zurich – Uster – Rapperswil railway lines already existed. However, these did not open up the larger towns of Pfäffikon, Hinwil and Wald. A wide variety of line variants were suggested for the time. In the end, the route from Effretikon via Illnau, Pfäffikon, Wetzikon and Hinwil prevailed.
The municipality of Wald withdrew from the project when the United Swiss Railways (VSB) made a favorable proposal for a connection to the rail network, much to the displeasure of the Swiss Northeast Railway (NOB). The resulting section Rüti – Wald is now a section of the Tösstalbahn .
The introduction to the Effretikon station was also very controversial. While some wanted the connection built in such a way that direct trains in the direction of Winterthur were possible, others preferred the later-built introduction in the direction of Zurich. Both cities spoke out in favor of a cost sharing of 400,000 francs; However, Zurich made the condition that a branching station had to be built in Effretikon. The concession to build the line was granted on December 16, 1871. On May 29, 1873, the general assembly in Pfäffikon decided to found a stock corporation to build the railway line from Effretikon to Hinwil via Wetzikon.
Building history
The execution of the project was awarded to the engineers of the NOB, which also acted as general contractor. Construction of the line began in 1873 when the topographical data were recorded. Commissioning was scheduled for May 1, 1876, but the storm from June 11 to 13, 1875 ruined these plans. Several rivers overflowed their banks, and various landslides damaged the railway line that was being built.
The earthworks and engineering structures could nevertheless be finished in December 1875. In the first months of 1876 the tracks were laid and the stations were refurbished. The adjustments to the train stations in Effretikon and Wetzikon could only be completed shortly before the opening. A total of 50.4 hectares of land were expropriated. During the construction, 412,000 cubic meters of excavation were moved and rails with a total weight of 1309 tons were installed. These were laid on 12,240 hardwood sleepers and 16,400 softwood sleepers.
The construction costs were estimated at 3.2 million francs, which were raised with a share capital of 2,556,000 francs (see shareholders below) and a loan in the form of bonds from the NOB. The estimated construction costs were exceeded slightly, in the end the construction of the railway line cost around 3.3 million Swiss francs.
The first years
On May 3, 1876, the operation of the route was transferred to the Swiss Northeast Railway. Due to the outsourcing of operational management and the payment of fees for shared use of the Effretikon and Wetzikon stations, a positive result could only be achieved in the first half of 1877. In the following three years, the railway company did not even generate the operating costs. For this reason, timetable cuts were inevitable. Because of the high fixed costs and the shortfall in income, these measures even increased the deficit.
The railway company's deficit in 1885 was no less than 450,530 francs, and this with share capital of 2,556,000 francs. Due to the steadily growing deficit, the NOB took over the railway line on January 1, 1886.
NOB and SBB
There is not much to report about the 16 years under the leadership of the NOB, except that on June 1, 1901, the Hinwil station became a through station after the opening of the Uerikon-Bauma railway .
As a result of the nationalization of the NOB, the line became the property of the Swiss Federal Railways on January 1, 1902 . After the introduction of the branch line steam locomotive Eb 3/5 in the years 1911 to 1916, this mainly used this tank locomotive. The lack of coal during the Second World War led to the decision to electrify the line. Not even a year later, on May 6, 1944, continuous electrical operation began.
Due to the war, electrification had to be carried out with the simplest of means. 442 wooden poles, but only 50 spun concrete poles and 10 metal poles were used. Only the main tracks received a contact wire made of 85 mm² copper, while a contact wire made of 80 mm² galvanized steel wire was used over the side tracks. In addition, the entire route was equipped with modern electrical signal boxes.
An Ae 3/6 I locomotive pulled the opening train . This type of locomotive was to be found very often on this route until the appearance of modern commuter trains such as the RABDe 12/12 and RBe 4/4 at the end of the 1960s.
On September 12, 1982, there was a serious accident: a car from Germany was hit by a regional train on a level crossing in Pfäffikon secured with barriers . The barriers were still hand-operated at the time, and that afternoon they had been opened again by mistake due to the train's delay. A total of 39 passengers on the bus died, including 18 married couples. 43 children from Schönaich became orphans.
→ Main article: Railway accident at Pfäffikon ZH
Zurich S-Bahn
The opening of the Zurich S-Bahn on May 27, 1990 meant that passenger trains no longer run continuously over the entire route. The S3 runs between Effretikon and Wetzikon and the S14 between Wetzikon and Hinwil.
While the Mirages commuter trains were mainly used on the S 3 in the initial phase , the double-decker S-Bahn commuter trains Re 450 , which were in use on the S 14 from the start , are now also used on it . The S 14 was used as a test route for the new double-decker trains of the RABe 514 and RABe 511 series. All series of S-Bahn double-decker trains were found on the S 14 in 2012, with a focus on the RABe 514, but today (as of 2019) only DPZs are used as planned.
The railway company Effretikon - Pfäffikon - Hinwiel EH
While the operation was in the hands of the NOB from the start, own rolling stock was purchased for the operation:
- 3 tank locomotives with 200 hp each, road numbers 188 - 190
- 2 luggage trolleys
- 3 2nd class passenger cars
- 7 passenger coaches III. class
- 25 gondolas
- 20 boxcars
Steam locomotives
The steam locomotives are 2/2 coupled tank locomotives. They were manufactured by the machine factory in Winterthur, had a total weight of 25,600 kg, a length over buffers of 7,620 m and reached a top speed of 55 km / h. They had the factory number 98-100 and were put into operation according to the numbering scheme of the NOB with the numbers 188-190. In 1879 the numbers were changed to 241–243 and in 1895 to 441–443. The SBB gave them the numbers E 2/2 80996-80998. Between 1914 and 1916 the steam locomotives were scrapped.
Shareholders
The following list is intended to provide information about the participation of the individual shareholders in the railway line:
| Owner | Share in Swiss francs |
|---|---|
|
|
The canton's share was 30% of the construction costs, or 50,000 francs per kilometer of train built. Together with the bonds issued, a capital of 3,676,000 francs was available. The financial requirements for the construction of the line were calculated at 3,200,000 francs. The amount paid by the Canton of Zurich was based on the effective construction price of around CHF 3.3 million. The share of the Illnau community consists of 95,000 francs from the community and 5,000 francs from two non-residents. If the community part had not come about, the train station could not have been built.
Deficits
The company was never able to show positive annual results. The reserve fund was used up by the end of 1878. A large part of the deficit accounted for the five percent interest rate on the NOB bond loan of CHF 1.1 million.
| year | Amount in Swiss francs |
|---|---|
|
|
Sale to the NOB
Since the takeover of the NOB by the federal government became apparent when the line was sold, the municipalities waived their share of around 2.5 million francs. The purchase price for the NOB was composed of the bond loan (which it lost) and the accumulated deficit of 1.42 million. The NOB received a route for 2.52 million francs, the construction costs of which were 3.3 million.
Buildings
185 bridges and water passages were created during the construction. Seven of these were larger bridges with iron substructures, with the bridge over the torrent near Wetzikon being the longest at 87 meters. Five stations and 26 guard houses were built. In the Effretikon and Wetzikon stations, the existing NOB stations were also used after track adjustments, for which fees were due. The Illnau, Fehraltorf, Pfäffikon and Hinwil train stations were designed by H. Gmelin, each with a half-timbered construction with a wooden goods shed attached to one side.
Illnau train station
This station was almost never built because the community had quarreled over the location of the station and only approved the necessary funds at the last minute.
Illnau station 1997
Illnau station 2016
Hinwil station
The railway systems were adapted to the requirements of a through station with the construction of the UeBB in 1901.
Hinwil railway station 1877
Hinwil station in 1902 with NOB and UeBB trains
Hinwil station in 1965
Development of the number of passenger trains
| year | Number of trains | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| 1876 | 10 moves | Opening offer |
| 1879 | 8 moves | summer |
| 1879 | 6 moves | winter |
| 1943 | 14 moves | Steam trains not included in the war-related cuts due to a lack of coal |
| 1944 | 24 trains | electric train conveyance |
| 1976 | 32 trains | 16 pairs of trains |
| 1982 | 46 moves | Timetable Mon – Fri 23 pairs of trains |
| 1990 | 68 moves | Introduction of S-Bahn S 3 |
| 2006 | 68 moves | 34 train pairs S 3 |
See also
swell
- Festschrift for the 100th anniversary
Individual evidence
- ↑ 25 years ago: The catastrophe changed Schönaich ( memento from January 12, 2009 in the Internet Archive ), Stuttgarter Zeitung from September 1, 2007