Helvetia (train)

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Helvetia


TEE Helvetia in Zurich main station
in October 1957

Train type: 1952–1957: F-Zug
1957–1979: TEE
1979–1987: IC
1987–1991: EC
1992–2002: ICE
Countries: SwitzerlandSwitzerland Switzerland Germany
GermanyGermany 
First drive: May 18, 1952
Last drive: December 12, 2004
Former operator: German Federal Railroad
route
Departure station: Hamburg-Altona
Destination station: Zurich HB
Route length: 966 km
Cycle: Every day
Furnishing
Catering: Dining car , bar car
Technical specifications
Rolling stock:
SBB locomotives:
  • Re 4/4 II
Gauge (s) : 1435 mm
Power system (s): 15 kV 16.7 Hz
Train run


TEE Helvetia, 1957

Helvetia is the name of an international long-distance express train that connected Hamburg and Frankfurt / Main with Zurich. The term "Helvetia" stands for the Latin name of Switzerland. From 1957 this train was operated as TEE , from 1979 as Intercity and finally as ICE .

Long-distance train deployment

As early as 1952, the Deutsche Bundesbahn planned to set up a high-speed railcar connection between Frankfurt / Main and Zurich. However, the lack of railcars at that time prevented the realization at that time. As a replacement there was a twin connection Frankfurt / Main - Stuttgart - Munich as FT 29/30. The traffic to Switzerland was driven with a locomotive hauled train as long-distance train F 77/78, which connected Frankfurt / Main with Basel SBB. Other stops were Basel Badischer Bahnhof , Freiburg im Breisgau, Offenburg, Karlsruhe, Mannheim-Friedrichsfeld (changing locomotives) and Darmstadt. The start was in Basel in the morning and the return journey took place in the evening.

In the summer of 1953 there were enough new diesel multiple units of the VT 08 series so that the new connection could be converted to this multiple unit. At the same time, the train route to Zurich was extended. The long-distance multiple unit was already running from Frankfurt via Kassel, Hanover, Hamburg Hbf to Hamburg-Altona for the winter timetable 1953/54. With a travel time of just 12 hours for the total distance of 959 kilometers, the train was extremely popular with travelers. As early as the 1954 summer timetable, the route via the Main-Weser Railway to Kassel was abandoned and the faster route via Fulda and Bebra was taken. The train stops in Offenburg were also omitted. In 1955, the Riedbahn , which was also faster, was used between Frankfurt and Mannheim and the stop in Darmstadt was given up.

TEA use

The Helvetia was one of the first trains to be integrated into the TEE network established in 1957. Although this already happened for the 1957 summer timetable, class VT 08 railcars were still used. Some of the trains were run with pre-war Hamburg- type multiple units . It was not until October that the train route could be switched to the new diesel TEE trains of the new VT 11.5 series . This meant that the “Helvetia” could now be driven at a top speed of 140 km / h. The train was one of the fastest on the Bundesbahn and was often fully booked.

After the great success of the long-distance trains Rheingold and Rheinpfeil, from 1965 the Helvetia was also converted to a wagon train with locomotive pulling. For this purpose, brand-new Rheingold-type wagons with minor modifications such as the pitched roof were used. Typical for this train were the new one-story dining cars of the type WRümh-64 (later WRmz 132 ) and bar cars of the type ARDümh-64 (later 105 ). Instead of the cobalt-blue-beige of the Rheingold, the new cars were painted in the TEE color scheme red-beige (RAL 3004 and 1001).

Between Hamburg and Zurich, the train trunk was formed from two Avmh later Avmz, one Apmh (later Apmz) and the dining and bar car. Two further Avmh and, if necessary, up to two Apmh were also provided with the train between Hamburg and Basel. New E 10 series electric locomotives were used as the train locomotive on the DB section , the E 10.12 TEE locomotive, the later 112 was only represented in the Mannheim - Frankfurt section before TEE 78. It was not until 1968 that these locomotives were generally used in front of the Helvetia, and its top speed was simultaneously increased to 160 km / h.

From 1967 there were through coaches Zurich - Amsterdam, which were transferred to the TEE Rembrandt (Munich - Amsterdam) in Mannheim .

The new DB express train locomotives of the 103 series took over the hauling of the train as early as 1971 . The through car to Amsterdam was canceled at the same time. In the winter timetable 1971/72:

TEA 73 country railway station km TEA 72
13:39 GermanyGermany Germany Hamburg Altona 0 16:19
13:46 GermanyGermany Germany Hamburg dam gate 5 16:11
13:55 GermanyGermany Germany Hamburg Central Station 7th 16:04
15:22 GermanyGermany Germany Hanover 185 14:40
16:13 GermanyGermany Germany Goettingen 293 13:45
18:32 GermanyGermany Germany Frankfurt am Main 534 12:33
19:23 GermanyGermany Germany Mannheim 615 11:34
19:53 GermanyGermany Germany Karlsruhe 676 10:06
20:26 GermanyGermany Germany Offenburg 750 09:33
20:53 GermanyGermany Germany Freiburg 811 09:04
21:27 GermanyGermany Germany Basel Badischer Bahnhof 873 08:30
21:41 SwitzerlandSwitzerland Switzerland Basel SBB 878 08:24
22:43 SwitzerlandSwitzerland Switzerland Zurich HB 966 07:00

IC insert

The new InterCity network of DB from autumn 1971 with its two-hour cycle had no effect on the TEE Helvetia for the time being. It was integrated into the timetable concept for IC line 3 (Hamburg-Frankfurt-Basel).

It was not until 1979, with the start of the two-class IC network "InterCity '79", that the train was converted into the two-class IC 178/179. It now operated to and from Westerland (Sylt), where it was classified as an express train between Hamburg and Westerland. At the same time he drove a second class through car Westerland - Saarbrücken. The train even ran an ABm 225 car between Sylt and the Main metropolis of Frankfurt, a one-off for an IC. With the commissioning of the new Intercity Express system (ICE 9), the Helvetia was temporarily discontinued in 1991.

ICE use

However, as early as 1992, DB had Helvetia revived. From now on it operated with an ICE train between Hamburg and Zurich, as ICE 70/71. For this purpose, some ICE power cars were specially equipped with Swiss pantographs and train protection.

With the abolition of the ICE train names in 2002, Helvetia also lost its exclusivity. Today it runs as an unnamed ICE 70/71 between Hamburg-Altona and Basel SBB.

accident

TEE Helvetia was involved in a serious accident on August 12, 1965 when it collided with the last wagon of a freight train that was not free of profile and derailed at the Lampertheim station . Four people died and many were injured.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Center for public relations UIC: TEE . Ed .: Union Internationale des Chemins de Fer. Paris 1972, p. 22 (Dutch).
  2. ^ Peter Goette: TEE trains in Germany . Ed .: EK Verlag. Freiburg 2008, ISBN 978-3-88255-698-8 , pp. 81 .
  3. ^ Peter Goette and Peter Willen: TEE trains in Switzerland and Swiss TEE trains abroad . Ed .: EK Verlag. Freiburg 2006, ISBN 978-3-88255-697-1 , pp. 102 .
  4. ↑ Torsten Berndt: Travel 1st class VT 11.5 . Ed .: Märklin. Irsee 2002, p. 69 .
  5. ^ Peter Goette and Peter Willen: TEE trains in Switzerland and Swiss TEE trains abroad . Ed .: EK Verlag. Freiburg 2006, ISBN 978-3-88255-697-1 , pp. 103 .
  6. ↑ Torsten Berndt: Travel 1st class VT 11.5 . Ed .: Märklin. Irsee 2002, p. 76 .
  7. ^ Peter Goette: TEE trains in Germany . Ed .: EK Verlag. Freiburg 2008, ISBN 978-3-88255-698-8 , pp. 82 .
  8. ^ Maurice Mertens and Jean-Pierre Malaspina: La Légende des Trans Europ Express . Ed .: LR press. Vannes 2007, ISBN 978-2-903651-45-9 , pp. 109 (French).
  9. ^ Maurice Mertens and Jean-Pierre Malaspina: La Légende des Trans Europ Express . Ed .: LR press. Vannes 2007, ISBN 978-2-903651-45-9 , pp. 164 (French).
  10. ^ Peter Goette and Peter Willen: TEE trains in Switzerland and Swiss TEE trains abroad . Ed .: EK Verlag. Freiburg 2006, ISBN 978-3-88255-697-1 , pp. 104 .
  11. ↑ Jörg Hajt: The big TEE book . Ed .: Heel. Bonn / Königswinter 2001, ISBN 3-89365-948-X , p. 74 .
  12. ↑ DB advertising office: Right of way in Europe, TEE 1971/72 . Ed .: Deutsche Bundesbahn. Frankfurt am Main 1971 (Plate 8).
  13. ^ Peter Goette: TEE trains in Germany . Ed .: EK Verlag. Freiburg 2008, ISBN 978-3-88255-698-8 , pp. 86 .
  14. ^ Peter Goette and Peter Willen: TEE trains in Switzerland and Swiss TEE trains abroad . Ed .: EK Verlag. Freiburg 2006, ISBN 978-3-88255-697-1 , pp. 106 .
  15. ^ A b Maurice Mertens and Jean-Pierre Malaspina: La Légende des Trans Europ Express . Ed .: LR press. Vannes 2007, ISBN 978-2-903651-45-9 , pp. 167 (French).